Catrin: Sister of Emrys
by writergirl142
Summary: What if Merlin had a younger sister named Caden "Cade"? What if he had never told anyone about her? What if she had been born with magic, too, but had trouble controlling it? How will Merlin deal with the unexpected arrival of his sister?
1. Chapter 1 Caden

**I'm a full-time writer, but this is my first attempt at fanfiction of any kind, so please be friendly!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin (unfortunately)**

**Summery: **What if Merlin had a younger sister named Caden "Cade"? What if he had never told anyone about her? What if she had been born with magic, too, but had trouble controlling it? Merlin is definitely surprised when she comes to Camelot after being forced to leave Everwick, where she had been living for the past nine years. How will Merlin deal with the unexpected arrival of his sister, who is just as magical as he is?

Chapter 1: Caden

Merlin quickly crossed the cobblestone courtyard, trying not to be any later to Prince Prat than he already was. He had overslept that morning as Gaius was down in the lower town for medicinal purposes. As he walked, he thought about how the clot-pole was probably already awake and waiting for him and how cross he was most likely was.

As he crossed the courtyard, a figure out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he stopped. Walking towards him was a familiar person, someone Merlin had not seen for nine long years and whom he was quite close to. "Caden!" He exclaimed, beginning his pace again, this time quickening it so as to reach Caden faster.

Caden smiled as Merlin ran up and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, which was surprising for someone as thin and lanky as Merlin. "Merlin," She started. "I know you haven't seen me in a very long time, so I'll let you know something: I don't go by 'Caden' anymore. I go by 'Cade' now. I haven't gone by 'Caden' for about eight years now."

"Cade, huh?" Merlin reviewed. Cade nodded. "Alright then. Cade it is. I won't call you 'Caden' unless absolutely necessary."

Cade smiled. "Thank you." she said.

Cade was Merlin's sister who was three years his junior. Though she was younger, the two were nearly identical in appearance. Like Merlin, Cade was pale skinned, thin, and lanky. They also shared dark circles under their eyes and the same pitch black hair. Cade's eye color, however, was different then Merlin's. While his eyes were dark blue, Cade's were bright green.

Cade's clothing was also similar to Merlin's. She wore the same brown jacket (abiet lighter in color), baggy long-sleeve shirt with a black belt around the abdomen (hers was red) and a neck scarf (hers was sapphire blue). The rest of her clothing was different, more so in color then anything. Her trousers were dark blue, and there was a black skirt over them. She was also wearing black boots. She had two bracelets on each wrist: a black one on her left and a camouflage one on her right.

Cade hugged her brother tightly. "Long time, no see, Merlin." she said. Merlin nodded.

"It's been way too long, little sister." As he said this, he playfully ruffled her hair, making her bangs stick up all over the place, some still in front of her right eye, the rest sticking outward in front of it and parting over to the left unevenly. She glared at him, but smiled after a minute. "What brings you to Camelot?" Merlin asked.

Cade's eyes darkened. "I was run out of Everwick." she replied, coldly. Merlin's eyes widened, his stormy blue irises meeting the neon green of his sister's.

"Why?" He asked.

"They found out about my 'little talents'." she answered. Merlin frowned.

"And they kicked you out because of it?" he questioned. Cade only nodded.

"Unfortunately."

Merlin sighed. "But why come here to Camelot where you're even more at risk? Why not go back to Ealdor?" Cade's eyes narrowed.

"To be honest, I felt I would have a better chance of living if I came to you." she answered. "Mother already had her hands full. That's why I was sent to Everwick and you were sent here. Was it before or after Will found out?" Cade heard her brother's breathing hitch and she looked at his face with concern.

Merlin had gone paler, his eyes widening with the start of tears at the bottom. His hands were clenched in tight fists and Cade knew that somehow, she had hit a delicate subject. "Merlin, what happened?" she asked. Merlin looked at her.

"About two years ago, Ealdor was in trouble from that guy, Kanan. Arthur, Morgana, Gwen and I went to help. After Arthur had defeated him in one on one, Kanan fired his crossbow. Will pushed him out of the way and took the arrow. He didn't make it." Tears began streaming down Merlin's cheeks and Cade wiped at her own eyes furiously, willing herself not to cry when her brother obviously needed her. She pulled him into a hug, wrapping her arms as best she could around his shoulders.

"At least Will went out with a different opinion on nobles I'm sure, right?" Cade asked, smirking lightly.

Merlin smirked back. "He had stood up for me. I'd had to use magic and when Arthur questioned him and me, Will took the blame." he said. Cade leaned her head on top of Merlin's head.

"That's just the kind of thing Will would do." She said, smiling as a single tear dripped down her face.


	2. Chapter 2 Gaius meets Cade

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin (unfortunately)**

**Summery: **What if Merlin had a younger sister named Caden "Cade"? What if he had never told anyone about her? What if she had been born with magic, too, but had trouble controlling it? Merlin is definitely surprised when she comes to Camelot after being forced to leave Everwick, where she had been living for the past nine years. How will Merlin deal with the unexpected arrival of his sister, who is just as magical as he is?

Chapter 2: Gaius meets Cade

After a few minutes, Merlin pulled away from Cade's embrace, one arm running across his eyes. He stood, offering a hand to help Cade up, which she gladly accepted. "I'm going to take you to Gaius." he said. "He'll be able to figure out what you're to do while you're here." Merlin pulled a passing servant, a young boy, aside. "Go tell Arthur that I will attend to him later. I have important matters to attend to right now." The boy nodded and ran for Arthur's chambers.

"Andret said to find either you or Gaius the minute I arrived." Cade said. Merlin smiled.

"It looks like I was first, then." Cade nodded and followed Merlin across the courtyard. Merlin led her up the stairs and into a room at the top.

Cade's eyes surveyed the surroundings as Merlin searched for Gaius.

"Gaius?" He called.

"Just a minute, Merlin!" Gaius's voice called back.

Merlin looked at Cade and shrugged. A minute later, Camelot's physician came in the warlock and witch's sights. "Now, what, Merlin, is so important that it requires you to interrupt me when I am working?" Gaius asked.

Merlin stepped aside, allowing Gaius full view of Cade. "My younger sister has come to Camelot." he said. Gaius's eyes widened and he walked closer to the young witch.

"Caden?" he questioned. Cade nodded.

"She goes by Cade now, Gaius." Merlin said. "But it is her."

"What are you doing here, my dear girl?" Gaius asked. "I assumed you would still be in Everwick. Your mother said nothing of you coming here."

"That's because she doesn't know." Cade said. "Andret sent me here. The Everwick people found out about my magic and practically ran me out of town. Andret sent me here to you and Merlin so that you could help me." Gaius nodded.

"So I take it you still cannot control your powers well?" he asked. Cade shook her head sadly. "Well, I suppose then, if Merlin can help you control them, then you might be okay. You can stay here with Merlin and myself."

"We can split my room and she can stay there." Merlin suggested.

"Excellent idea, my boy." Gaius said. "Now, why don't both of you see to Prince Arthur. I'm sure he won't mind if Merlin has help for a while until we can find some work for Cade."

Merlin nodded and gestured for Cade o follow him. She did so, waving slightly to Gaius as she and Merlin left the chambers.

Gaius smiled and waved back. "That girl had better be better behaved around Arthur then Merlin was, or else there'll be trouble to deal with." he said thoughtfully.

**This would've been up sooner, but last night my stomach was killing me and I had a headache today.**


	3. Chapter 3 Cade meets Arthur the Prat

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin (unfortunately)**

**Summery: **What if Merlin had a younger sister named Caden "Cade"? What if he had never told anyone about her? What if she had been born with magic, too, but had trouble controlling it? Merlin is definitely surprised when she comes to Camelot after being forced to leave Everwick, where she had been living for the past nine years. How will Merlin deal with the unexpected arrival of his sister, who is just as magical as he is?

Chapter 3: Cade meets Arthur the Prat

Merlin led Cade through the corridors to Arthur's chambers. Walking in without knocking, he exclaimed, "Good morning, your pratship!" Cade followed him in and looked around, her green gaze finally landing on the blonde blue-eyed crowned prince of Camelot. He glared curiously at her and raised an eyebrow at Merlin.

"Merlin," he said, his voice calm but annoyed. "Why are you late and who is this?" As he said the last word, Arthur gestured to Cade.

"She's the reason I'm late." Merlin said. "This is my younger sister, Cade." Cade bowed respectfully.

"She's not a big idiot like you I hope?" Arthur said. Merlin rolled his eyes.

"No." he said bluntly. "She's really very smart."

"We'll see about that." Arthur said.

"She's here to work alongside me." Merlin said. "She will be until other work is found for her."

"Very well." Arthur said. "Why don't the two of you go muck out my stables." He grinned evilly. Merlin, again, rolled his eyes.

"That's got to be the worst job you could have given Cade on her first day." He said.

"That's too bad." Arthur said. "But I'm the prince and you're my servants, so do as you're told."

"Yes sire." Merlin said, his teeth clenching on the word "sire". He bowed and left, Cade, after bowing as well, following him.

As the siblings walked to the stables, Merlin threw his hands in the air in frustration. "That dollop-headed clot-pole!" he exclaimed, causing Cade to jump. "Out of all the jobs he could have given you on your first day here, he chooses this one; the overall single most disgusting of any servant's jobs!"

"Calm down, Merlin." Cade said, putting a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm her brother down. "I'll manage. I may still be sickly like I was as a child, but I can handle a little horse dung."

Merlin looked at her and the anger that was clearly present in his eyes faded slightly, replaced with concern. "Are you sure?" he asked. Cade nodded.

"I'm sure." Cade said. She grabbed his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. He smiled slightly.

"Alright." He said. "But if you can't handle it, you're off the job regardless of what Arthur says." Cade rolled her eyes, but nodded.

"Fine. Have it your way." She said. She began running towards the stables. Merlin watched her and reflected on when the two had grown up together in Ealdor before Cade was ever sent to Everwick.

**Sorry if this one's shorter then the other two. There wasn't really much I could tell about Cade and Arthur meeting. **

**Just to say, Cade is a sickly girl. She was born that way, but at the same time, she's really quite strong and refuses to let it control her life.**

***I started work on another Merlin fanfic. Since so many like this one, I decided to begin posting it. It's called "Different Lives, Same Hearts" and once again centers on the subject of Merlin and his sister Cade. It's a modern day fic so should hopefully be entertaining. The first chapter should be up soon, though I can't guarentee when. My english 4 teacher gave us an essay today so I may be busy with that, just to warn***


	4. Chapter 4 Merlin remembers

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin (unfortunately)**

**Summery: **What if Merlin had a younger sister named Caden "Cade"? What if he had never told anyone about her? What if she had been born with magic, too, but had trouble controlling it? Merlin is definitely surprised when she comes to Camelot after being forced to leave Everwick, where she had been living for the past nine years. How will Merlin deal with the unexpected arrival of his sister, who is just as magical as he is?

Chapter 4: Merlin Remembers

_Fifteen years ago..._

Growing up in Ealdor wasn't easy. As a farming town on the edge of Cenred's kingdom, people in Ealdor had to make a living any way they could. Many of the children didn't know any different, not that it mattered. Two such children were Hunith's two children, her five-year-old son, Merlin, and her two-year-old daughter, Caden.

Merlin and Caden were two of the most rambunctious and active children in Ealdor. Despite Caden being born sickly, the toddler never let that stop her from trailing after Will and her brother. Both Merlin and Caden were advanced for their age. Both had learned to walk and talk earlier then other children. Hunith assumed it was due mostly to the fact that both had been born with magic.

Both Merlin and Caden were extremely close and rarely, if ever, argued or fought about anything. Merlin was very protective of Caden, unwilling to let anyone or anything upset or hurt her. One of the best examples of Merlin's protectiveness and care for his sister came a day that Caden was stuck inside, sick. Hunith heard giggling coming from inside the house. When she entered, she found Caden sitting up under her blanket, a wide smile on her face. Merlin was next to her, his blue eyes fierce with concentration as he eyed a bright light ball between him and Caden. Caden saw Hunith and her smile widened.

"Mommy, come see what Merlin did!" she exclaimed. "Isn't it pretty!" Hunith smiled and walked over to her son and daughter, sitting down next to Caden as she watched the ball float around in sync with the movement of Merlin's eyes.

"That is pretty." She agreed. "Merlin, where did you learn that?"

"I didn't." Merlin replied. "I was just trying to think of a way to make Caden feel better and the next thing I knew, I had a ball of light floating above my hand." He grinned. The ball of light floated in front of Caden and all three family members laughed as the girl reached for it, only for it to pull away.

One of the best days was when Merlin and Caden met who would soon become an extremely close friend. Her name was Astrid Dafydd, the three-year-old daughter of a nobleman from the town of Greenwich, which was located within the borders of Camelot. When she walked up to Merlin, Will and Caden, Caden immediately hid herself behind Merlin, peeking out occasionally to glance at Astrid.

"I'm Astrid Dafydd." Astrid introduced. Merlin and Will waved slightly.

"I'm Will." Will said.

"My name's Merlin and this is my little sister, Caden." Merlin said, stepping out from in front of Caden. The timid toddler reluctantly held out her hand to Astrid, who took it smiling.

"Don't be afraid, Caden." Astrid said. "I won't hurt you. How about instead we be friends?" Caden thought about it a minute then walked back to Merlin and grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling him closer to Astrid.

"Only if you be friends with Brother." she said sternly, causing the older kids to burst out laughing.

"Sure. Why not?" Astrid said after she'd managed to calm her laughter. "What about Will? Can I be friends with him?"

Caden looked between Astrid and Will and nodded slowly. "Yes. You can be friends with Will. He's Brother's best friend so you have to be friends with him if you want to be me and Brother's friend." This statement caused another round of laughter from the older kids.

Astrid visited Merlin, Caden and Will as often as she could, but with as far away as she lived, there were usually many weeks between each visit. The last time Caden saw Astrid, it was only five days before she was to be sent to Everwick because of her uncontrollable magic. After that, Caden never saw Astrid again.

**Don't worry. Astrid will be back. She lived within Camelot's borders so a reunion with Merlin and Cade is unavoidable. (Plus I had it planned like this from the beginning) Only now I'm stuck. I'm thinking maybe Merlin takes Cade to meet Kilgharrah in the next chapter. She's going to have a part in MErlin and Arthur's destinies. That's why the druids call her Catrin, which means "Pure" she's got a big part to play with her brother.**

**I was thinking about making up an OC guy for Cade to meet, and Merlin to become protective big brother on, but I have yet to decide anything about him. Any thoughts?**


	5. Chapter 5 Meet Kilgharrah, Cade's Part

**Finally! Chapter 5! Now, we find out how exactly Cade fits into Merlin and Arthur's destinies.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin (unfortunately)**

**Summery: **What if Merlin had a younger sister named Caden "Cade"? What if he had never told anyone about her? What if she had been born with magic, too, but had trouble controlling it? Merlin is definitely surprised when she comes to Camelot after being forced to leave Everwick, where she had been living for the past nine years. How will Merlin deal with the unexpected arrival of his sister, who is just as magical as he is?

Chapter 5: Meeting Kilgharrah & Cade's Part

_Present Day_

Cade gagged, a gag which quickly turned into a harsh cough. Merlin looked up at his sister with concern. "Are you okay, Cade?" He asked. Cade coughed again, but looked up at him and nodded.

"I'm fine." She said. "I must've swallowed wrong."

_Yeah, that's it._ Merlin thought, rolling his eyes. Cade shrugged and went back to shoveling the horse manure. Merlin sighed and went back to work.

Three hours later, Merlin dragged an even paler, coughing witch into Gaius' chambers. Gaius looked up as Cade's hacking caught his attention. "What did she do?" Merlin looked up at Gaius, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Overestimated her tolerance." he answered.

"Did not." A hoarse voice said weakly. Merlin and Gaius looked down and saw Cade glaring at them, her eyes only partially opened. Merlin lightly smacked Cade's head with his free hand.

"You did and don't you dare argue with me." He said. Cade opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a series of harsh coughs. "It's freezing out there and with your weakness, by all rights you shouldn't have been out there in the first place." Once the coughing had ceased, Merlin and Gaius managed to drag Cade over to one of Gaius' patient beds. They sat her down and Merlin sat next to her while Gaius went to find something to soothe Cade's throat.

Merlin put a hand on Cade's forehead. "You're burning up!" he exclaimed. Cade looked away, hunching her shoulders in guilt. "How long have you been feeling like this?" Merlin asked. Cade wrapped her arms around her shoulders and shook her head. Merlin groaned with annoyance. "Cade, now is not the time to be stubborn!" Cade shuddered slightly at Merlin suddenly raising his voice, then her shoulder slumped, her arms falling onto her lap.

"Fine." she sadly softly. "I've been feeling like this since last night, when I camped out before getting here." Merlin's eyes widened.

"What!" He exclaimed. "You've been feeling sick since last night and you didn't bother to tell us?"

Gaius came back over to Cade and Merlin, one hand holding a vile of a potion, the other reaching out to grasp his nephew's shoulder firmly. "Calm down, Merlin." he said. "Yelling at Cade won't make things better." Merlin looked at Gaius and relaxed slightly. Gaius turned his attention to Cade. Handing her the vile, he asked, "How, though, did you manage to hide this from me, a skilled physician?"

Cade quickly downed the potion, gagged slightly at the taste and looked at Gaius. "When you live in Everwick, you can't afford to be sick. So I had to hide it when I did. I've gotten quite good at hiding it."

"Until it gets worse." Merlin mumbled, still clearly irritated. Cade nodded.

"Then it's impossible to conceal." she said. She coughed again, this time the cough being softer. She kicked her boots off while Merlin took her jacket and neck scarf off. Then Gaius gently pushed Cade down on the patient's bed.

"Rest now, Cade." he said. Cade's eyes began to droop as the sedative in the potion began to take effect. It wasn't long before she was fast asleep. Gaius turned to Merlin. "Stay with her. I'll let Arthur know." Merlin nodded and looked back at Cade. Gaius smiled and left the chambers. Merlinsmiled slightly and brushed Cade's dark bangs from in front of her face.

"You really know how to make things difficult for us, now don't you?" he said softly.

_ Merlin. Caden._ Merlin tossed in his bed, his hands unconsciously going up to his ears.

_Go away, Kilgharrah!_ He exclaimed mentally.

_Young Warlock, you must awaken and come to the clearing. Bring the young witch._ Kilgharrah commanded.

_Cade's sick! Are you out of your mind!_

_ The young witch will be fine. I do not wish to talk for very long, but Caden must know her place._

_ Her place in what?_

_ That is what you will find out when you get here. Upon your arrival at the clearing, you must call me to you. Then, I will tell you what you must know._

_ Fine. We're coming._ Kilgharrah's presence left Merlin's mind and Merlin sighed. He got up, slipped on his jacket and boots and crept into the main chamber. Gaius was fast asleep on his bed and Cade was fast asleep on the patient's bed. Merlin quietly walked over to Cade and gently shook her shoulder. Her green eyes, paler with fatigue from sickness, drifted open to meet Merlin's eyes.

"Sorry to wake you, Cade." Merlin said. Cade reached up with one arm and rubbed her eye with her hand, yawning widely. "There's someone I want you to meet and he won't wait until tomorrow." Cade nodded sleepily, allowing Merlin to pull her up and help her into her boots and jacket. They walked quietly out of Gaius' chambers and made their way across the courtyard to a deserted clearing.

Upon arriving, Cade jerked fully awake as Merlin roared, "**O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!**" Suddenly, Cade was aware of the sound of wings flapping in the air and she looked up just as the enormous golden form of the Great Dragon, Kilgharrah came into view. When he landed, Cade struggled to keep her balance.

"I am here." he said. Cade blinked her eyes and shook her head.

"No way!" she exclaimed. Kilgharrah's golden gaze fell on Cade and she shuddered.

"No need to be afraid, young witch." Kilgharrah said. "I am only here to tell you and the young warlock something of great importance."

Merlin eyed the dragon sternly. "So tell us. We're here, tell us what was so bloody important!"

"Patience, Merlin." Kilgharrah said and Merlin groaned loudly, running his hands through his short dark hair. Kilgharrah turned his attention back on Cade. "Caden, has your brother told you exactly why he has remained in Camelot where he is at risk?" Cade shook her head. "It is because it is his destiny to protect Arthur Pendragon until he can become king. When that happens, magic will return to Albion."

"Big destiny." Cade said. "But what do I have to do with it?"

"You are just as important to destiny as Emrys."

"Emrys?" Cade turned to Merlin in confusion.

"Emrys is what the Druids call me." he explained. Cade nodded slowly.

"And to the Druids, you, young Caden, are known as Catrin." Kilgharrah said.

"The Druids have a name for me?" Cade questioned. Kilgharrah nodded.

"As I said, you are just as important to destiny as Emrys."

"No pressure or anything though." Cade said, half-joking. Kilgharrah said nothing. He opened his wings and took off into the air. Cade frowned and looked up after him. "Really? He just says that and then flies off! He didn't even say what I'm supposed to do to protect this prince!" Merlin grinned and walked over, putting a hand on Cade's shoulder.

"That's just the way he does things. I've learned to just go with it." Merlin said. He began leading Cade back to the castle. "Let's get back before Gaius sees we're gone."

**Hopefully that was a longer chapter then the last one. Read and Review, Please!**


	6. Chapter 6 Sir Micheal

**Finally! Chapter 6 is complete! Sorry bout the wait, but I was having major writers block. That was coupled with the fact that I've been looking at colleges and dealing with daily headaches.**

**Again, I apologize! Please forgive me!**

Chapter 6: Sir Micheal

Merlin blinked his eyes open as Gaius shook him awake. He slowly sat up, yawning loudly and stretching his arms over his head. Looking around his room, he stood up and changed into his daily clothes, before walking out of his room and into the main chambers.

Cade was sitting up, still looking a bit paler then what was normal, but at the same time, she looked better then she had the previous day. She looked up at Merlin and smiled. He smiled back in response.

"How do you feel, Cade?" he asked.

"Fine." she answered. "Better than I did yesterday."

"That's good." Merlin said.

"I'm still not sure I understood what Kilgharrah was talking about last night. He seemed to be talking in riddles." Cade stated.

"The bloody dragon refuses to give a straight answer any time I've asked him for help." Merlin explained. Cade rolled her eyes.

"Fantastic." she said slowly.

"Well, if you're feeling well enough, Arthur needs us." Merlin said. Cade nodded.

"Sounds like fun." she said.

"He wants us to meet him on the training field."

Cade nodded again. "I'm willing to bet he wants us to help train his knights."

"That's usually the case."

Cade rolled her eyes. "Great…" Merlin smiled.

"Don't worry. If Gwen's hanging around there today, she won't let Arthur go too awful heavy on us." He said, chuckling. Cade glared at him.

"Key word: **_IF_**." she said.

Merlin nodded. "That's true." Cade stood up, stumbling a bit as she lost her footing. Merlin chuckled again. "Arthur would probably be saying something about that right about now if he were standing here." Again, Cade rolled her eyes, but managed to steady herself long enough to grab her boots and neck scarf. She pulled her boots on and was just tying on the neck scarf when Merlin handed her her jacket. She nodded her thanks and pulled it on.

Let's go." she said and began walked out the door.

Merlin looked at Gaius, smiled and shrugged, and, grabbing a couple of slices of bread, walked out of the door, running to catch up with his sister.

"Come on Merlin! You're not even trying!" Merlin cringed under the shield as Arthur hammered against it. Cade was standing close by, her arms wrapped around her shoulders, her body shaking slightly.

"I am trying, you prat!" Merlin exclaimed. Cade snickered softly.

_Merlin, one of these days, Arthur won't let you get away with that._ Cade thought.

"Caden!" Cade blinked, just now taking notice of Arthur calling her. She looked at him and indicated that she was listening.

"Yes?"

"Why don't you show Merlin how you should act when you're a battle-hardened warrior." Arthur said.

Merlin looked out from behind the shield at Arthur's words. "Arthur, I really don't think that's a good idea."

"I didn't ask you, _Merlin_." Arthur snapped. "I was asking Caden. No. More like commanding. Caden, show Merlin how it's done."

Cade sighed, but bowed respectfully to Arthur. She walked foreward and took the shield and helmet from Merlin. After getting the helmet on her head and the shield on her arm, she took a defense stand, doing her best to hold the position once Arthur began hammering away at the shield as hard as he could.

After several minutes of non-stop hammering, Cade finally spoke up. "Sire!" she exclaimed, raising her voice so that it could be heard over the constant clanging of the sword against the shield. When it didn't stop, Cade tried again, only louder. "Sire!" The clanging stopped and Cade chanced a glance over the shield. Arthur was looking down at her, a glare of annoyance on his face.

"What, Caden?" he snapped.

"Couldn't you ease up just a bit?" she asked. Arthur's annoyed look changed to one of shock, before melting into a wide smile as the prince burst out laughing. Merlin glared at Arthur while at the same time casting Cade a look of concern.

"You're joking, right?" Arthur asked. "You actually believe that just because you ask like that, I'll actually follow through?" Cade looked at him and nodded slightly, which caused another roar of laughter out of Arthur which was then followed by laughter from the knights. As the laughter quieted, Arthur squatted down next to Cade, who's green eyes made contact with his baby blue eyes. "Not on your life." He said and, standing up, began hammering his sword, once again, against the shield, which Cade only just raised in time before the onslaught began again. She squeezed her eyes shut, expecting the worse any moment now.

"Sire." Cade opened her eyes as the onslaught ceased and looked over the top of the shield again. A tall knight with short brown hair was coming towards Arthur and Cade. Arthur had turned and was now looking at the knight.

"Yes, what is it, Sir Micheal?" he asked.

"I think that the girl is right and you should stop this incisive onslaught." Micheal said. "At this rate, we'll be sending her to Gaius with a broken arm and you know what happened when you went too far and Merlin ended up with a broken arm as well as a concussion." Cade saw Merlin's face redden at Micheal's words. Arthur looked at Micheal then glance back at Cade and sighed.

"Very well, Sir Micheal." Arthur said. "You're right. Training is now over. I must go see to my father. Merlin, Micheal, check on Caden." With that, he walked off.

Once Arthur was gone, Merlin dropped his servant act and ran towards Cade, dropping down beside her as she struggled to pull the shield off her arm. Micheal walked toward her as well and squatted beside her and Merlin. "Are you alright?" he asked.

Cade finally managed to pull the helmet off her head, which resulted in her sweaty bangs spiking up, and looked up at Micheal, smiling. "I'm fine." She answered. "A bit sore and tired, but I'll live."

Merlin, meanwhile, was fussing over Cade, feeling her forehead and asking her repeatedly if she felt ill, which Cade denied exasperatedly. Micheal smirked, but eyed both Merlin and Cade curiously. Cade grinned tiredly.

"I was born sickly so Merlin is extremely protective and does whatever he can to make sure I don't get ill." Cade explained.

"I don't blame him." Micheal said. "As your older brother, keeping you safe and well is his job."

Cade shrugged. "But sometimes it can get annoying!" As she said the last words, she raised her voice and glared angrily at Merlin, who looked up and grinned sheepishly.

"Deal with it, Caden." He said. "As long as you're with me and Gaius, both of us are going to be checking your health regularly." Cade groaned and fell back on the ground, covering her eyes with one arm.

"I can't get a break!" she exclaimed. Merlin and Micheal looked at each other and smiled.

That night, as Cade laid in her bed, she thought about Sir Leon. _Guess there is something else about Camelot that is worth my time._ She thought. Turning over on her side, she listened to Merlin's steady breathing. _Now, not only do I have my brother, I have Micheal as well. Maybe I can stand living here for a while._ With that last thought, Cade's eyes closed and, her breathing evening out, she fell into a deep slumber.

**So there you go. Cade meets my new OC, who will really test Merlin's patience as well as show us a more protective side then he ever had with Arthur.**

**I was thinkin of pretty soon, doing season 4, only with Cade added, but I'm not sure/**

**Read and review please!**


	7. Chapter 7 The Darkest Hour Part 1

**Chapter 7 is finally complete. I went ahead and decided to go along with writing in series 4, as there are many good episodes that series.**

Chapter 7: The Darkest Hour Part 1

Months later, after Morgana and Morgause's downfall, Merlin was running towards the kitchens, Cade close behind him. "Sorry!" He exclaimed as he ducked under a flower chain and continued up the stairs. Cade groaned and continued trying to keep up with her brother.

"Merlin!" she exclaimed, though her voice was gasping. Merlin just seemed to ignore her. She ran into the kitchens just as Merlin was weaving himself between the maids, servants and cooks crowding the kitchens. He snatched a bit of food from a passing tray just as the head cook cornered him, her ladle held in front of his face like a sword threatening to slice him right open.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, an accusatory tone in her raspy voice. Merlin stuttered to think of an answer, his real reason for being there completely gone to the wind. Fortunately, Cade came to his rescue.

"The prince's shirt." she said, calmly, grabbing Merlin's arm lightly. The cook backed off and the siblings made their way to where Merlin had left the shirt earlier that morning. Merlin grabbed it, but before running off, he and Cade looked up to see Gwaine and Percival lowering a cord with a hook on the end down, aiming for the chicken Merlin and Cade now saw. Merlin and Cade laughed and Merlin, after looking around, hooked the large hook onto one of the chickens and tugged the cord. As it went up, the siblings left.

"Astrid better not let Gwaine talk her into that." Cade muttered. She, Merlin and Astrid had been reunited several months earlier, before Morgana's attempt to take over Camelot had even begun. The three had never been any happier than they were at that moment.

Merlin nodded. Going down the corridor, Merlin ran into a servant carrying wine. As was per their luck, the wine spilled all over Arthur's white shirt, staining it crimson. Merlin and Cade bent down and eyed the shirt. With that big a stain, the shirt was surely ruined. Cade groaned and rubbed her eyes with one hand.

"Could try a bit of salt." Looking up, Merlin and Cade were happy to see one of the knights of round table and close friend, Lancelot, grinning down at them. The siblings stood up, Merlin holding the shirt up so that Lancelot could see it.

"Arthur is going to kill us." Merlin said, solemnly.

"You've faced far worse, my friends." Lancelot said when he had taken a good look at said shirt. "I'm sure two brilliant people of your talents can figure something out."

Merlin and Cade glanced at each other, each with a dark eyebrow raised, Cade's disappearing behind her bangs, before Cade grinned. Taking the shirt from her brother, she muttered, "_Fordwin mamm_." Immediately, the shirt stain was completely gone. Cade grinned devilishly at Merlin. "I think I'm starting to get the hang of this whole magic control business." she said.

"I should hope so. You've been practicing with me and Gaius since the day you arrived in Camelot." Merlin said, rolling his eyes, and smiling.

"When I wasn't sick, which was often." she stated.

"You're still sick, you're just stubborn." Merlin said.

Cade turned towards Lancelot, who had been about to leave when the siblings had gotten into their debate, and held up the now clean shirt. Lancelot only shrugged knowingly and began walking away again.

The siblings resumed walking and were, before long, in the chambers of Prince Prat Arthur himself. Both, however, were shocked to find the prince up and dressed without their assistance when they walked in the door. Arthur saw his servant pause, looking up from the piece of paper he was holding. "Yes?"

Merlin looked down at the shirt, and then at the red tunic his prince was wearing. "You're dressed."

Arthur deigned that with shake of his head, as he turned to move around his desk to seat himself. "Yes, Merlin, I am not an idiot." The movement exposed his back, and the fact that his tunic was tucked up into his belt leaving his lower back bare. Couldn't he feel the draft? Merlin and Cade grinned.

"Are you sure about that?" Cade questioned.

She got a flat look in return, Arthur sitting down and looking at his piece of paper with the air of someone struggling with something. "Just get on with your chores, you two. I'm trying to write a speech."

"Do you want help?"

"No."

"Then you won't want this then?" Arthur looked up, to see Merlin waving a small rolled up scroll of parchment, Cade grinning beside him with her hands clasped behind her back. The warlock and witch chuckled. "I worked on it all of last night." Merlin said. Yes, Merlin had been up all night working on the speech, keeping Cade so awake she almost didn't get any sleep at all. She had chewed him out that morning for it.

In the pause that followed, the three of them regarded each other in silence before a resigned prince held his hand out for the scroll. He then unfurled it, and read the speech written on it with slightly raised eyebrows.

"What do you think?" Merlin asked.

"It needs a polish." Arthur said, handing the speech back to Merlin, who took it, grinning.

"I'll add it to the list." Merlin said, cheekily. Arthur glared up at him as he began cleaning the clothes that were strewn across the bed. Arthur then looked at Cade, who, after seeing the glare on the prince's face, immediately began working on making his bed.

"You know Merlin, there aren't many who get the chance to write a prince's speech." Arthur said. "Would it be too much for you to say thank you?" Merlin just eyed the prince curiously and left. As he did, Cade looked and saw a smile cross Arthur's face before she continued with her work.

**So there you have it. The Darkest Hour has begun.**

**If any of you have a certain episode you'd like me to put in, just review or PM me your request!**

**Read and review please!**


	8. Chapter 8 The Darkest Hour Part 2

**Two chapters in two days! Finally, something good actually happens. I think this chapter may be the longest yet.**

Chapter 8: The Darkest Hour Part 2

When Sirs Elyan and Leon came back later that day, they carried with them interesting news to say the least. Merlin, Gaius and Cade watched as Leonand Elyan informed Arthur of their plight.

"The reports are true, Sire." Leon informed Arthur. "We caught up with Morgana on the Plains of Denaria."

"Was she alone?" Arthur questioned.

"There was no one else." Elyan stated.

"Morgause?"

"Couldn't be sure."

"Where was Morgana heading?" Arthur's uncle, Agravaine, asked.

"The Seas of Meridor." Leon answered.

"The Isle of the Blessed." Gaius informed Arthur solemnly.

"I'll send out patrols at first light." Agravaine said. Arthur nodded.

"Thank you, Agravaine." he said.

"Sire," Leon began. "You should know her powers have grown. Sir Bertrand and Sir Montague are both dead."

Arthur nodded slowly, a look of anxiety on his face. "Keep me informed of any developments." he commanded. Leon and Elyan bowed and left, followed by the rest of the court. Merlin, Cade and Gaius looked at one another nervously.

That night, at the Samhain's Eve banquet, Arthur stood, holding up a cup. "To the king!" The rest of the people in the room, stood and followed suit. Merlin and Cade were at different ends of the room, Merlin across the room with an empty jug of wine and Cade was by Arthur, also with a wine jug.  
That was when the magic siblings noticed something was off. Bitter cold gripped them, though when the two looked around, they saw that no one else appeared to have noticed. To the siblings, time seemed to moving slower. The noise of the banquet hall had quieted, though they could see everyone having as good a time as they had been before. It seemed that only Merlin and Cade were affected. The siblings turned to look at each other and nearly jumped out of their skins when they saw an elderly lady in a long black robe with a staff in her right hand standing in the center of the room.

She glanced between Merlin and Cade. "_Emrys_._ Catrin_." Her voice whispered the names given to the two by the druids. She eyed them eerily and repeated the druid names twice more, before vanishing completely.

The jugs dropped from Merlin and Cade's hands, silencing the entire hall. Many pairs of eyes turned towards them. Before anything could be said, the eyes of the warlock and witch rolled back in their respective heads as their owners collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Lancelot ran to Merlin's side while Micheal ran to Cade's. The two siblings were shivering violently, which worried the two knights. Lancelot picked up Merlin and Micheal picked up Cade, and, followed by Gaius, rushed from the room.

Bringing the two shivering siblings to Gaius's chambers, both were immediately placed on their beds and covered up with the thin blankets.

"What happened?" Lancelot asked. Gaius shook his head.

"I'm not sure." he said. "I've never felt anyone so cold before."

"Will they be alright?" Micheal asked.

"We'll need hawthorn to improve the blood flow." Lancelot nodded and departed, followed by Micheal. "And blankets!" Gaius called after them. "Lots of blankets!" He turned his attention back to his two wards, both of whom were still shivering as though they had fevers, though their skin was extremely cold to the touch.

Later that evening, the two finally woke up. As Gaius was mixing his medicines, Merlin and Cade, Merlin with one arm clutching the blanket around his shoulders and the other wrapped around Cade, stepped out of their room and sat on Gaius's work bench as the old physician turned his attention on them. Cade shivered and nuzzled her body closer to Merlin.

"When she spoke," Merlin began. "It was… It was as though it came from the depths of the earth. Her eyes. They were so sad, so much pain in them." The siblings shivered again.

"Who is she?" Cade asked.

"The Calleach. The gatekeeper to the spirit world." Gaius answered.

"Why was she there?" Merlin asked.

"Because on the stroke of midnight on the Samhain's Eve. The very moment when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. It cannot be a coincidence." Gaius explained.

"Why were we the only ones to see her?" Cade questioned.

"You two have great power, Cade." Gaius answered. "For someone so gifted, such visions are not uncommon."

"You don't understand, it wasn't a vision." Merlin stammered. "She knew who we were." Gaius eyed Merlin and Cade warily. "She called us '_Emrys_' and '_Catrin_'." Gaius looked away, a look of thoughtfulness on his face. "What is it? What does it mean?"

"I'm not sure." Gaius said. "But if someone has drawn the veil between the worlds, then God help us all."

The next morning, Merlin and Cade walked into Arthur's chambers, where the prince was still sound asleep. When Merlin slammed the breakfast tray on the table, Arthur stirred. "Merlin." Arthur groaned. Merlin pulled open the curtains. "Merlin!" Arthur said a little louder, covering his face with his pillow. Cade bit back a laugh.

"What?" Merlin said, turning round to face Arthur. There was a knock on Arthur's chamber doors.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed. Merlin and Cade turned towards the door.

"That's not me." Merlin said. Arthur pulled the pillow off his face as Sir Leon walked in the door.

"Excuse me Sire." Leon said upon entering. Arthur set the pillow aside and sat up, looking at Leon. Merlin and Cade followed suit. "You're needed in the council chambers. It's a matter of urgency."

Entering the council chambers, Arthur, Merlin and Cade heard the sobbing of a young girl. "What happened to her?" Arthur asked.

"Her village was attacked." Agravaine answered.

"By who." Arthur asked. Agravaine only shrugged and stepped aside. Cade looked and saw a girl maybe only a year or two younger then herself standing in the center of a semi-circle of the council, Gaius comforting her. Arthur walked up to her. "What's your name?" he asked when she looked up at him.

"Dreya." she stammered out. Arthur walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Dreya," he said soothingly. "I'm Arthur. Don't be afraid." Dreya started sobbing again. "Tell me what happened."

Dreya looked up at Arthur. "My mother. My father. My little sister. They're-"

"It's alright." Arthur said, rubbing her shoulder. "It's alright. Someone attacked them?" Dreya nodded.

"There was no one. Just shapes."

"You didn't see their faces?"

"They had no faces." Merlin and Cade tensed as they heard an eerie scream. Dreya continued. "I keep telling you, they were there, but weren't there. They moved so quickly. It was as if they weren't real, but they must've been. I could hear the people screaming. And then silence. They were all…dead." She started sobbing again and Arthur grabbed both of her shoulders again.

"Hey." She looked up at him. "Thank you." He guided her into Gaius's embrace and began to walk off, Merlin and Cade walking right after him.

Not long after, Arthur, Merlin, Cade and the knights of the round table were on their horses riding for Dreya's village. As they round, the sound of a woodpecker startled the siblings.

"Merlin, Caden, do you two need your comfort blankets?" Arthur asked mockingly.

"What do you mean?" Cade asked.

"You're making me edgy." Arthur replied. Suddenly, Lancelot's horse neighed loudly, startling the siblings further. "That's a horse!" Arthur exclaimed.

"We thought we heard something." Merlin explained, looking around.

"Yes and you're clot-poles." Arthur retorted.

"That's my word." Merlin said.

"Yeah, and it suits you perfectly." Arthur replied.

**That last bit where Arthur calls Merlin and Cade clot-poles confused me so I just wrote what I heard.**

**I loved writing the bit where Cade was nuzzled up close to Merlin. I actually drew a picture to illustrate it. The situation was begging for it, so I complied.**

**Please read and review! It helps alot and I love reading reviews!**


	9. Chapter 9 The Darkest Hour Part 3

**Okay! I'm so proud right now! Two chapters in one day!**

Chapter 9: The Darkest Hour Part 3

They arrived at the village, where they found it completely empty. "It's too quiet." Arthur said. Swords drawn, the knights crept quietly into the village. Merlin and Cade stayed back, having no swords of their own as both were terrible sword users. As they walked through the village, the sound of the wind slamming a wooden door shut startled all of them. When it blew back open, a goat ran out and all of them, except for Merlin and Cade, relaxed slightly.

They split up, Merlin and Cade following Lancelot. As they looked around, the sound of Gwaine taking a loud bite out of an apple startled all of them. "Sorry!" he exclaimed softly. Lancelot shook his head.

"Here!" Leon shouted. Merlin, Cade, Arthur and the knights ran to a hut, where they found Elyan and Leon staring sadly at a man. He was definitely dead. His eyes and mouth were wide with frozen fear and ice covered his whole body. By his side, was who appeared to be his wife, who was in very much the same state as her husband. All of them turned when they heard a sound similar to the one Merlin and Cade had heard in the council chambers earlier that morning. This was immediately followed by a wispy shape flying by, however no one got a good look at it.

"You saw it?" Arthur asked. Merlin and Cade just kept staring straight ahead.

"We're literally chasing shadows." Gwaine said. They exited the hut and went back out into the village. Once again, they split up, searching for any survivors. Merlin and Cade walked into a barn, having heard a noise that alarmed them. They soon heard a rustling noise coming from behind them and turned toward it. They were startled by a single chicken flapping its way out of the hay in front of them. However, once they saw it, they relaxed a bit, smiling softly to themselves and each other. That was when they heard the same low scream again, only it sounded more like an eerie wind that was quite suspicious. They turned toward it, but saw nothing once again.

As they ran out the door of the barn, they heard the screaming again, only it was louder than it had ever been beforehand. The young warlock and witch ran into a small clearing, looking for whatever it was that could have possibly been responsible for the absence of people in the village.

"_Leoht_." Merlin murmured. A small light appeared in the palm of his hand and he held it up. However, it wasn't long before the light vanished. "_Leoht_." Merlin said again. This time, the light only flickered.

Curious, Cade held up her own hand. "_Leoht_." she said, however, she soon discovered she was having the same problem her brother was having.

They spun around as ghostly screams bombarded their ears from all sides. Finally, as they looked towards the trees, a smokey skelatal shape flew out of the trees right at them. "_Fleoh nu on moras_!" Merlin exclaimed, pulling Cade close to him. His eyes flashed gold, but the spell failed.

"_Fleoh nu on moras_!" Cade exclaimed, her heart pounding with fear as she leaned closer into Merlin's grip. Her eyes flashed gold as well, but the spell failed for her as well. Cade's magic, slipping from her control in her fear, reacted to the fear, or at least tried to. It lashed out at whatever the creature was, but soon retreated back into Cade, who began shaking even more.

To their surprise and relief, Lancelot jumped out and began waving his torch around in front of them, frightening the creature off. "What happened?" he asked, after the creature was gone.

Merlin shook his head and pulled his shaking sister closer to him. "Our magic. We couldn't use it. Not even the uncontrollable nature of Cade's magic did anything." He said, apprehensively.

"There's something out there!" Lancelot exclaimed as Arthur and the other knights came around the corner.

"Did you see it!" Arthur exclaimed.

"When it saw the light, it fled." Lancelot explained.

"Let's get the horses!" Leon exclaimed.

"It's not something you can chase." Merlin said, his arms still wrapped around the trembling witch. "Or something you can kill." Micheal walked up to Cade and rubbed a hand soothingly on her shoulder. She peeked her eyes out from where they were concealed by Merlin and looked at him.

"You alright?" Micheal asked. Slowly, Cade nodded, but continued shaking with the intense fear she still clearly felt.

"We need to get out of here." Arthur said, beginning to walk away. Cade released her vice-like grip on Merlin's jacket and followed her brother, Arthur, and the knights out of the village.

Back in Camelot, the city was in a state of panic. There were creatures everywhere and once someone was hit by one, that was it. There was no hope for them. That is what Merlin, Cade, Arthur and the knights returned to.

In the council hall, Gaius was looking over the bodies of the many victims the creatures had claimed. He almost didn't see Merlin and Cade standing at the door, Cade once again clinging to Merlin in fear. "Gaius." Merlin said, gaining the physician's attention. Cade coughed, which made both Gaius and Merlin think she had been out in the cold too long.

"Merlin." Gaius said. "Cade." He walked closer to the siblings. "You saw them?" Merlin and Cade nodded. "Here, help me. Get me some more sheets." Merlin and Cade moved to follow Gaius, Cade never releasing her grip. Then they just stopped and stood still, staring at Gaius with fear in both blue and green eyes. "Merlin? Cade?" Gaius questioned when he saw that the two had stopped moving.

"Our magic is useless against them." Merlin finally revealed.

"What about the uncontrollable nature of Cade's magic?" Merlin shook his head fearfully.

"Not even that stopped them." he said, depressingly. "We've tried. I have never felt such powers. Something deep inside and when it came for us, I felt this emptiness. Couldn't breathe. I know Cade felt it too." In response, Cade nodded.

"We're scared." Cade croaked. Neither of the males missed the fear the young girl's voice contained.

"Merlin, Cade." Gaius said, walking closer to the siblings. "It's alright." He walked up in front of them and grabbed both their shoulders. "It's not your faults."

**I loved doing the part where Cade refuses to leave Merlin's side for a single moment out of fear. It's just so cute! Or at least it was in my head. I thought also that Merlin keeping Cade close, showed his extreme protectiveness over his little sister.**

**Let me know what you all think!**


	10. Chapter 10 The Darkest Hour Part 4

**4th chapter in 3 days, Merlin addiction has finally overcame my senses! Not that I'm complaining of course.**

Chapter 10: The Darkest Hour Part 4

As Merlin led Cade up to their chambers, he could feel her continuous shaking. Upon entering their room, Merlin immediately set Cade down on her bed and then maneuvered so that he was sitting on the bed right next to her. She immediately resumed clinging to him.

"Cade, it's okay." Merlin said, running his hand up and down her back in a soothing motion. "You heard what Gaius said. What happened back there wasn't our fault." He felt Cade nod slowly. This was soon followed by a violent cough and loud sneeze. Merlin sighed and put a hand to Cade's forehead, feeling the warmth of a fever begin to take place. "You've got a fever. You shouldn't have ridden out with us."

Cade looked up and smiled lightly. "You know you can't get rid of me that easily. That should be simple enough."

"Stop joking and get to bed. I'll let Gaius know when he gets back." Merlin ordered. Cade rolled her eyes, but grudgingly complied with his order.

The next morning, in Arthur's chambers, Agravaine relayed the death toll to the prince. Merlin and Cade, both still fearful as well as Cade still being a bit sick, stood behind Gaius.

"We've suffered fifty dead. Maybe more." Agravaine informed.

"Is there no way of fighting them?" Arthur asked.

"Only the torches." Agravaine replied. "The light doesn't kill them. It only repels them."

Arthur turned to Gaius. "What are they?" he asked.

"The Dorocha, Sire." Gaius answered. "Spirits of the dead. On Samhain's Eve, in the times of the Old Religion, the High Priestess would perform a blood sacrifice and release them."

"Who would do such a thing now?" Agravaine asked.

Gaius looked at him. "Morgana." He answered.

"You see her hand in this?" Arthur asked.

"We know she was travelling to the Isle of the Blessed." Gaius replied.

"How do we defeat them?" Arthur questioned.

"I don't know, Sire." Gaius answered solemnly. "No mortal has ever survived their touch." Arthur looked away, despair evident on his face.

That evening, as the sky darkened, Merlin and Cade were performing their evening duties for Arthur. Merlin was lighting the candles around the room. A sound startled him and the basket holding the candles dropped and one rolled by the window in the shadows. Arthur and Cade looked up at him curiously. "Thought I saw something." He said and resumed lighting the candles. He blew out the match, all the while staring where the candle stick had rolled.

"What was it? A spider?" Arthur asked. Merlin didn't answer but continued to stare at the curtains and the candle stick. Arthur saw him staring at the candle stick and began walking towards the warlock. "Just pick it up." Arthur said. Merlin didn't move. "Do you want me to get one of the maids to do it for you?"

"It's not a joke." Merlin replied, irritably. Arthur walked towards the curtains and, reaching out with his sword, pushed them aside, revealing nothing hidden behind the curtains. Merlin sighed with relief.

"You see, Merlin," Arthur said, picking up the candle. "I could never be like you. Could never let myself look so spineless."

"Oh, see I'm different cause I could never let myself look so heartless." Merlin retaliated.

"What?" Arthur said.

"Alright, thoughtless." Merlin corrected.

"Never." Arthur said, shaking his head.

"Definitely humorless." Merlin said.

"Cause you're not funny." Arthur said. He handed the candle back to Merlin. Cade snickered at the banter she had grown accustomed to. She was used to the way the boys jeered at each other. She even threw in some remarks herself. They all stopped as another distant scream of the Dorocha filled the air.

"You're not scared?" Cade asked.

"Oh I am, Caden," he replied. He turned towards the siblings. "Maybe more then you two." He smiled slightly which was followed by smirks from the warlock and witch. He walked away and the siblings smiled.

The next morning, people from all over the kingdom were flooding into the citadel.

"They're coming from all over the kingdom." Agravaine informed. "They're looking to Camelot for protection."

Arthur turned towards his uncle. "And we will give it to them."

"We cannot house them all." Agravaine argued.

"We have to try."

"How? We can't live like this forever, Arthur. We must find a way to vanquish these creatures."

"Somewhere in all your books, Gaius, there must be something." Arthur pleaded. "All I'm asking is a way to fight them."

"I fear the Dorocha cannot be defeated by swords alone." Gaius answered. "If I'm right, and the veil between the worlds is torn, then there's only one way we can take: travel to the Isle of the Blessed and repair it."

"I'm not sure." Gaius answered. "For the tear to be created would require a blood sacrifice. To seal it, will require another." Merlin, Cade and Agravaine all looked at Arthur, who looked thoughtful.

"We ride before nightfall." he said at last. Merlin and Cade looked at Arthur in shock.

"And who will be the sacrifice?" Gaius asked.

"If laying down my life will spare the people of Camelot, then that is what I must do." Arthur answered.

In their room in Gaius's chambers, Merlin was packing. Upon entering, Cade soon began the same thing. Merlin looked up at her, a frown on his face. "No." he said sternly. "I know what you're thinking Cade and no you're not coming." Cade just smirked up at him.

"Try and stop me." she said, a wide smile crossing her face.

"Cade, you're still ill from the last time you rode out with us." Merlin said. "What if you get worse?" Cade looked down at her bag, frowning with annoyance.

"Just because I'm sickly doesn't mean you have the right to treat me as though I'm a fragile thing who can't take care of myself." Cade said, not looking up. "I'm stronger than any of you guys give me credit for." At the last word, she smiled again and looked up at Merlin, who sighed.

"You sure I can't change your mind?" he asked. Cade shook her head. That was the moment when Gaius chose to walk into the room.

"Merlin, Cade, what are you two doing?" he asked.

"It's our destiny to protect Arthur." Merlin answered.

"How? Your magic is powerless against the Dorocha." Gaius said.

"Then I will sacrifice myself in his place." Merlin said. Cade looked up at her brother in shock. Merlin intended to sacrifice himself? No way! Gaius appeared to agree with her unspoken thought.

"No." he said.

"My life has always been mapped out by destiny. If this is meant to be," Merlin hesitated for a moment. "I'm not afraid." he said.

_That makes one of us_. Cade thought.

"I will gladly die, Gaius, knowing that one day," Merlin stopped. Cade put a hand on his arm. Gaius said nothing, but pulled the warlock into a hug. He then did the same to Cade. Cade discreetly wiped the tears forming in her eyes.

**Please review! I need to know how I'm doing!**


	11. Chapter 11 The Darkest Hour Part 5

**Finally, _The Darkest Hour Part 1 _is done. Please enjoy.**

Chapter 11: The Darkest Hour Part 5

Later that morning, Camelot saw the knights of the round table climbing onto their horses. As Lancelot readied his horse, he spied Gwen coming closer. He stopped for a minute to greet her. Cade looked and watched. Reading their lips, a skill she had acquired in Everwick thanks to her cousin, Cai, Cade found that Gwen was asking Lancelot to look after Arthur. She grinned softly. That was her and Merlin's job!

Arthur, Merlin and Cade mounted their horses and it wasn't long before they were off. As they stopped some time later, Arthur began handing out jobs to everyone. "Elyan, look after the horses, they need watering. I need someone to volunteer to get wood."

"I'll do it." Merlin muttered. Lancelot shifted his gaze between Merlin, who was walking off, to Cade, who saw his look of curiosity and shrugged innocently. He dropped the bags he was holding and began walking after Merlin. Cade sighed and followed.

"You shouldn't be here." Lancelot said, at first only directing it at Merlin but then Cade as well when he saw her following. "You have no powers."

"Doesn't matter." Merlin said, bending down to pick up a branch. That was when Cade saw Micheal walking up to them. Apparently, he was feeling the same about the situation as Lancelot was.

"You two aren't warriors. I don't want to see either of you hurt." Lancelot said. He bent down to pick up some wood.

"I agree with Lancelot on this one." Micheal said.

"If you leave in the morning, I'll cover with Arthur." Lancelot said. Both Merlin and Cade gave him looks.

"It's your duty to protect Camelot no matter what the costs." Cade said.

"Well, it's our duty to protect Arthur." Merlin stated. Lancelot and Micheal stood straight and eyed the siblings. "Surely you can understand that." Merlin continued.  
Lancelot walked closer, nodding. "I can understand that very well." he confirmed, handing the wood to Merlin. Micheal gently grabbed Cade's shoulder and she smiled.

The next day, they were riding again. "We need to reach Dayar Berth by nightfall." Arthur informed.

Night had fallen by the time they reached a crumbling old castle. "Pair off." Arthur commanded. "Find any wood you can. We need to get fires burning."

As the knights paired off to carry out Arthur's orders, they were immediately bombarded on all sides by varying screams of terror. Suddenly, a Dorocha flew in and though Arthur swiped his

torch up at it, nothing seemed to help.

"Come on!" Percival exclaimed. "We haven't got enough!"

"Go!" Arthur shouted.

Meanwhile, back at the campsite, Merlin was attempting to light the fire with rocks. He then looked around and muttered, "_Bael on bryne!_" Lancelot gave Merlin a look, who only shrugged. Cade smirked.

The knights were gathered around the fire, torches held high and eyes never leaving the surrounding area. Percival glanced at the burning wood. "It won't get us through the night." he said.

"It will keep the area safe for a while." Arthur said.

Soon though, Gwaine tossed the final piece of wood into the fire pit. "LAst one." he said. "Maybe we should draw lots to see who gets some more."

Arthur stood. "I'll go." he said. Lancelot stood as well.

"You'll need some help." He said and at those words, Merlin and Cade stood as well.

"We'll go with him." Cade said.

"You sure you're the right people?" Arthur quizzed. Lancelot sheathed his sword.

"Since when have you known how to collect firewood?" Merlin quizzed back. Thankfully, everyone laughed, which lightened the mood, even if it was only for a moment. With that, Merlin and Cade followed Arthur into the darkness of the old castle.

As they gathered the wood, it was usually Arthur guarding with a torch while Merlin and Cade gathered the wood. It wasn't long however, before a Dorocha came. "Merlin! Cade!" Arthur exclaimed and shoved against the siblings, causing all three to fall down a crevice, Merlin and Cade losing their hold on the firewood. It wasn't over yet. The screams of the Dorocha continued and Arthur, Merlin and Cade ran into the castle ruins to take shelter.

Back at the campsite, Lancelot and Micheal were pacing. "They should have been back by now." Lancelot said.

"Someone needs to go and look for them." Elyan said.

"We've only one torch between us. Who's coming?" Lancelot questioned, grabbing the torch and walking quickly away. Every knight drew their swords and followed.

Meanwhile, Arthur, Merlin and Cade had found a temporary hiding place. Merlin eyed Arthur curiously when he saw the older man shaking. Arthur glared at Merlin in return. "It's cold." he said.

Merlin nodded." Right." he said.

"You're not feeling it?" Arthur questioned when he saw that while Cade and himself were shaking, Merlin was not. Even Cade found that peculiar. Merlin just shook his head. "You know Merlin, you're braver then I give you credit for." As he said the last bit, Arthur peeked round the corner.

"Really? Is that a compliment?" Merlin asked.

"Don't be stupid." Arthur answered. That got all three of them laughing, softly. They peeked round the corner again. As they turned back Arthur said, "Of all the things I've faced, never worried about dying."

"I don't think you should now." Merlin said.

"Sometimes, you puzzle me." Arthur said. Merlin just looked curiously at him.

"You never figured me out." Merlin said. Cade scooted closer to Merlin and, wrapping her arms around his arm, buried her head in his shoulder.

"No." Arthur said.

"I always thought if things had been different, we would've been good friends." Merlin said. Arthur nodded.

"Yeah."

"That is if you hadn't been arrogant, pompous," Merlin said, smiling. Arthur smiled back, nodding slowly.

"We will defeat the Dorocha." Cade said, looking up at the prince. "We will, Arthur, together."

"I appreciate that." Arthur said, smiling slightly. "You know, you're both brave people. Between battles." Arthur said. Merlin and Cade snickered.

"You don't know how many times we've saved your life." Merlin said, causing another round of chuckles from Arthur.

"If I ever become king," Arthur began. "I'm going to have you made court jester, Merlin." They started laughing again. It stopped though, when the scream of a Dorocha startled them. "They say the darkness shines just before the dawn." Arthur said. Finally, a Dorocha flew through the wooden door directly at them. Arthur attempted to stand and fight, but Merlin pushed him back down, running out to face the Dorocha himself. Cade, who refused to let her brother die for any reason, kept her hold on his arm and, as a result, was dragged up with Merlin as her brother jumped into the path of the Dorocha. "Merlin, Cade, no!" Arthur exclaimed, a bit too late though. Both siblings were immediately clenched in the Dorocha's cold and were thrown back against the wall. That was the only moment when Cade finally released her brother as the warlock and witch slumped onto the floor.

That was when the knights finally found them. Lancelot swung the torch through the air, chasing the Dorocha away. "What happened?" He asked, handing the torch off to Percival. Arthur said nothing. He and Lancelot ran to where the siblings were lying on the floor, facing the wall, worried looks on their faces. Turning each of them over, they were met with the sight of both covered in frost, their eyes wide open and mouths slightly open, frozen in fear.

**Once again, I ask that you guys review.**


	12. Chapter 12 The Darkest Hour Part 6

_**The Darkest Hour Part 2**_** has now begun. Finally. Believe or not, this was the part I really looked forward to writing. Stayed up past midnight just to get it done just for you guys! Enjoy!**

Chapter 12: The Darkest Hour Part 6

The next morning, spirits were low. Merlin and Cade, though the frost covering them had long since melted away, were still unresponsive. They just sat, staring straight ahead. Both were paler than usual, dark circles almost black and though they were still breathing, it seemed shallower and both were clearly ill. They had been sat upright against large pieces of rubble, blankets draped over them. They were sat right next to each other, Cade's head leaning on Merlin's shoulder.

"We have to get them back to Gaius." Arthur said.

"And abandon the quest?" Leon questioned.

"They saved my life. I won't let them die." Arthur stated.

"Sire, if we don't get to the Isle of the Blessed, hundreds more will perish." Leon pointed out. Arthur looked towards the siblings.

"Let us take them." Micheal said, referring to himself and Lancelot. Arthur shook his head.

"Carrying two wounded, alone, it will take you two or three days to reach Camelot." Arthur said.

"Not if we go through the Valley of the Fallen Kings." Lancelot said. Arthur looked conflicted. "We cannot give up on the quest."

"Sire, he's right." Leon said. Arthur sighed and looked back towards Merlin and Cade, who's eyes were shifting back and forth as they laid there, Percival squatting beside them. Moments later, the siblings were being carried towards their horses, Percival carrying Merlin and Micheal carrying Cade. Sitting them on their horses, Arthur spoke as he strapped Merlin's legs to his horse to prevent him falling off.

"This is my fault." He said. "And I'm sorry."

The siblings, at that moment, finally found the strength needed to speak. "Take us with you, please." Merlin begged.

"You'll both die, Merlin." Arthur stated.

"You don't understand. Please Arthur." Merlin said. Arthur turned and eyed her sternly.

"Do you ever do what you're told?" Arthur asked, sarcastically.

"We have to come with you." Cade said.

"Caden." he said, effectively shutting both of them up.

"We need to leave." Lancelot said. Arthur gripped Merlin's shoulder as Lancelot, Micheal, Merlin and Cade depart, Merlin and Cade struggling to at least sit upright, despite their obvious pain. Arthur looked on after them, sighing softly to himself.

They rode down the path and soon came up on a forest. Riding in, Merlin and Cade looked on with worry as they passed the statues that signaled their entrance into the Valley of the Fallen Kings.

Meanwhile the rest of the knights rode on, soon stopping to walk for a bit. "Can you hear that?" Gwaine asked, removing a glove.

"Bees?" Leon replied.

"Food." Gwaine revealed, walking right up to a tree with a bee's hive in it.

"You trying to get us killed?" Leon asked.

"We're riding to our deaths anyway." Gwaine answered, sticking his hand in the hive. Leon continued walking until he was standing next to Arthur.

"You're quiet." He said.

"That's what happens after three days listening to Gwaine." Arthur replied.

Leon chuckled for a moment before turning serious once again. "You did the right thing though. Merlin and Cade couldn't have continued with us." he said.

"I should've saved them." Arthur said. Suddenly, they were interrupted by Gwaine's cries of pain. Turning round, they found he had aggravated the bees to the point where they were now swarming round him, himself batting them away and running between Percival and Elyan.

"If anyone can get Merlin and Cade back to Camelot, it's Lancelot and Micheal." Leon said, clapping Arthur on the shoulder.

Back with the foursome, they had entered a forest just as night was falling over them. By this time, Merlin and Cade could barely sit up without being in shivering pain. Stopping by a stream, Lancelot and Micheal unstrapped the siblings from their horses and carried them to the water's edge. As they covered the shivering siblings with their cloaks, Merlin and Cade both reached out with one hand and ran their hands in the water. As Lancelot and Micheal took their hands out of the water, they heard their names being called.

_Lancelot. Micheal._ Said knights looked towards the stream, they found many of the water droplets floating in the air. _Lancelot. Micheal._ The two knights now saw the droplets had faces and were talking to them.

"We pay you no harm." One said. "We wish only to help."

"What are you?" Micheal asked, wary.

"We are Vilia. Spirits of the brooks and stream." The lead one answered. "The tear in the veil has upset the balance of the world. Good spirits as well as bad roam freely. But this perilous state cannot continue for long."

"Prince Arthur is riding on a quest. He intends to heal the veil." Lancelot said.

"He will need help. From both of you." The Vilia answered.

"Our friends are sick. We need to get them back to Camelot." Micheal said, gesturing to the two siblings.

"Merlin and Cade are stronger then you give them credit for." The Vilia said, restating what Cade had told her brother about herself the day they had rode out on their journey. "The young warlock and witch have great power and a future that has been written since the dawn of time. Do not worry. Even now, my sisters begin to heal them." Micheal and Cade looked and saw Merlin and Cade's bodies shimmering as well as their breathing becoming stronger and their complexions restoring themselves back to their usually paleness instead of the ghostly paleness they'd had before.

Micheal and Lancelot looked at each other and smiled.

"You are tired." The Vilia said. "You must rest."

"We need to find shelter." Lancelot said.

"You are safe here."

"The Dorocha."

"We will stay with you and protect you through the night." The Vilia assured. A bright shield of light surrounded Micheal, Lancelot and the siblings, putting the two knights at ease.

**Once again, I ask that you guys review.**


	13. Chapter 13 The Darkest Hour Part 7

**Sorry this one didnt come as fast as the last ones did but school kind of exhausted me just a bit.**

**Anyways, here's the next chapter.**

Chapter 13: The Darkest Hour Part 7

The knights had continued on, stopping just outside of a cave. "By dawn, we'll be on the other side of the mountains." Arthur said, leading the knights down to the caves.

"You can't be serious?" Gwaine questioned disbelievingly. "These tunnels are crawling with wilderen."

"These tunnels will take days off our journey." Arthur retorted. "_IF_ we make it out alive. We'll cover ourselves in gaia berries."

Gwaine chuckled half-heartedly. "Sounds great."

"It's your choice, Gwaine: Wideren or Dorocha." Arthur said.

"I know which one I'd rather go for." Elyan said.

As the knights went into the cave, the sound of the Dorocha's scream caused Gwaine to stay back. He looked around warily before following the others into the cave, The moment he turned his back, a Dorocha swooped in and would have gotten him if Percival hadn't have pushed him out of the way.

"Never knew you cared." Gwaine said, standing up once Percival had gotten off of him. Arthur ran out, torch in hand.

"Quick!" he exclaimed helping Percival and Gwaine to their feet. They ran inside the cave, leaving the Dorocha far behind.

"Remind me again why we're wearing this disgusting paste." Percival said.

"Wideren are completely blind. They rely totally on their sense of smell." Arthur explained. "Gaia berries will mask our scent."

"What are the chances of us getting through here without seeing a wilderen?" Gwaine asked.

"None." Arthur answered. Gwaine scoffed.

The next morning brought bright rays of sunshine over the forest stream. Lancelot and Micheal creaked their eyes open, still a bit tired. They looked over to where they had left Merlin and Cade the night before, but found their spots empty. "Merlin?" Lancelot called, beginning to panic.

"Cade?" Micheal called just as panicky.

"Merlin! Cade!" Both exclaimed together.

"SHH!" A hushing sound silenced them and when they turned towards the source, they saw Merlin and Cade standing on a line of rocks over the stream. Merlin had a stick in hand while Cade was squatted close by with her jacket open, three fish already lying still on top. Lancelot and Micheal looked on in shock that the siblings were awake and, better than that, seemingly healthier than ever. The siblings looked towards the knights and smiled.

"Breakfast?" Merlin questioned as he and Cade walked back to the knights.

"Merlin? Cade? What are you…?" Lancelot stammered.

"You two are meant to be… Dying." Micheal said. Merlin and Cade grinned.

"Sorry." Cade said.

"Here." Merlin said, handing the stick in his hand to Lancelot.

"What's that for?" Lancelot asked taking the stick from Merlin.

"You look like you're going to fall over." Merlin answered. Lancelot grinned and swiped the stick through the air, Merlin and Cade managing to duck out of the way, smiling and shaking their heads as they stood up straight again.

"Yeah not as quick as Arthur." Cade said.

"Oh yeah?" Lancelot quizzed, grinning. The siblings looked away, then began walking towards the horses, Merlin taking the stick from Lancelot as they walked past.

"Come on we need to catch up with the others." Merlin said.

"No." Micheal said firmly. "You two are going back to Camelot."

Merlin and Cade looked back in confusion. "You might be." Cade said.

"Merlin, Cade." Lancelot warned.

"Say hello to Gaius for us!" Merlin called.

"Merlin, Cade!" Micheal exclaimed. The siblings turned as the two knights picked up their things and began walking towards them.

"Arthur can't finish this without us." Merlin said, his sister nodding her agreement.

"Arthur's right about you two." Micheal started. "You don't ever do as you're told."

Merlin and Cade looked at each other and, smiling, turned back to the knights, saying, "Nope." The knights just grinned and began helping the warlock and witch ready their horses.

Back with the rest of the knights, they were all sitting by a stream, attempting to wipe the smelly gaia berries off their faces. Leon walked up to Arthur and knelt beside him. "Even Gwaine's gone quiet." he said, gesturing at the alcoholic knight, who was splashing his face to get the berries off. Arthur grinned slightly.

"Sounds like a good reason to go on." he said, standing up.

Lancelot, Micheal, Merlin and Cade galloped as fast as their horses would allow through the forest. They had to reach Arthur before he managed to get to the Isle of the Blessed. Soon, though, it was getting dark. Stopping at a small house, the foursome tethered their horses and entered the house. Inside, they found another victim of the Dorocha. They covered him with a blanket and Merlin and Cade voiced the uneasiness they had both been feeling.

"We can't stay here." Merlin said.

"There's nowhere else, you two." Micheal said. They walked into the next room, the two knights taking off their capes and tossing them aside. "We'll make a fire. It'll keep us safe and dry."

"And," Lancelot began. "There's more than enough fuel to get us through the night." He tossed a piece of wood into the fire pit.

"Here." Cade said, stepping in front of the pit. Reaching out her hand, she said, "_Bael on bryne_." Flames instantly ignited, spreading warmth throughout the house. Cade looked up at the two knights, grinning uneasily. "I'm not entirely used to this, you know." She said, Merlin nodding in agreement. The two knights smiled as the siblings walked away.

The knights had stopped for the night, Arthur and Elyan patrolling the camp whilst the others were setting up. Elyan walked up to Arthur.

"See anything?" Elyan asked. Arthur shook his head. "Do you know what we're going to face on the Isle of the Blessed?" Arthur nodded. "Do you want to tell me?"

"The burden's mine and mine to bear alone." Arthur said, adamantly.

"Look around, Arthur." Elyan began. "We would fight a thousand armies with our bare hands for you. You're never alone. We stand together." He smiled at Arthur. "Come on. I'll take over." He reached for the torch in Arthur's hand, who pulled it away. "You need to rest." Elyan said. Arthur sighed and relinquished the torch.

"Thank you." Arthur said, clapping Elyan on the shoulder. Elyan smiled as Arthur walked back to the fire. Before they could get comfy though, the sound of screaming alerted them and they gathered together, torches held out in front of them, ready to attack any Dorocha that came in range.

**So, was this chapter any good? Review please!**

This is to anybody who has watched the Merlin series:

I'm trying to decide what episodes from series 4 I should do. If you guys could leave some suggestions, like your favorite episodes, that's be great.

**Thanks!**


	14. Chapter 14 The Darkest Hour PArt 8

**Chapter 14, finally, i thought it was never gonna get down. But, I sincerly hope it doesnt disappoint.**

**And to answer an earlier review, where i had arthur being rude to Cade, it was because of two reasons: one, Cade is Merlins sister and he's certain she's exactly like her brother. two- arthur treated cade the way he did in chapter 7 becuase cade isnt a girly girl so to speak. shes something of a medieval tomboy. doing the kinds of things knights do is great fun for her.**

Chapter 14: The Darkest Hour Part 8

The night was peaceful. At least, it had been when Micheal, Lancelot, Merlin and Cade had gone to sleep. It was Merlin and Cade's second sense that aroused the warlock and witch. Turning first to look at each other, fear clear in their eyes, the siblings slowly turned around. At that moment, a scream sounded and a Dorocha flew in. "Lancelot!" Merlin exclaimed, jumping to his feet, followed shortly by Lancelot.

"Micheal!" Cade exclaimed, grabbing him by the arm and successfully waking him. As Lancelot, Cade and Micheal ran for the door, Merlin poured the jug of mead they'd been sharing earlier on the burning embers of their fire, reigniting it and causing the Dorocha to temporarily retreat. The foursome ran out the door and into the forest, continuously looking behind them for the Dorocha.

"**O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!**" Merlin exclaimed. They ran into a clearing, followed by a Dorocha. The Dorocha was soon incinerated by a blast of fire. Looking around, the four saw the golden-scaled form of Kilgharrah swooping in. He incinerated another Dorocha and landed on the ground in front of them. Lancelot and Micheal immediately drew their swords, but as they moved in to attack, they found themselves stopped by Merlin and Cade.

"It's alright." Merlin said, looking at the two knights. Cade nodded, smiling. "It's alright." Merlin repeated. When they were certain that the knights were calm, Merlin and Cade walked forward and bowed respectfully to the dragon.

"Thank you." Cade said.

"Who are your friends?" Kilgharrah asked.

"I'm Micheal." Micheal said. Kilgharrah nodded.

"I'm Lancelot." Lancelot introduced, inching closer to the dragon.

"Of course." Kilgharrah said. "Sir Lancelot. The bravest and most noble of them all."

"I'm not sure that's true." Lancelot said.

"We shall see." Kilgharrah said. "For now, there are more pressing things at hand. The Dorocha cannot be allowed to remain in this world. The Sundered Veil must be restored."

"We're on our way to the Isle of the Blessed. To help Arthur heal it." Lancelot explained.

"Indeed." Kilgharrah said. "But at what price?"

"I know that the spirit world demands a sacrifice." Merlin said.

"It demands nothing!" Kilgharrah exclaimed. "It is the Calleach, the gatekeeper to the spirit world who asks such a price."

"So there is no other way?" Cade asked.

Kilgharrah shook his head. "There is not." Cade's face fell. She looked at her brother. She had asked that question in the hopes that maybe there would be a way to prevent her brother sacrificing himself. Now, it seemed that it would not be that easy.

"Arthur intends to sacrifice himself to heal the veil." Merlin said. "It's mine and Cade's destiny to protect him. You told us that."

"Merlin, you must not do this." Kilgharrah said.

"Then I have no choice." Merlin said. "I must take his place."

"Merlin!" Cade exclaimed, but Merlin silenced her.

"Cade, I won't let you do this either." he said. "You're my sister and I'm supposed to protect you. This is the only way I can."

"From the moment I met you, I saw something that was invisible." Kilgharrah said. "Now, it is there. For all to see."

"Only what you see, old friend, is what you taught me." Merlin said, grinning.

"It will be an empty world without you, young warlock." Kilgharrah said. With that, Kilgharrah took off into the sky.

The next morning, the four were on their horses once again riding to catch up with Arthur.

"When we arrive at the Isle of the Blessed, do you really intend to sacrifice yourself?" Lancelot asked Merlin.

"What do you want me to say?" Merlin asked.

"I look at you and I wonder about myself." Lancelot said. "Could I knowingly give up my life for something?"

"If there's a reason." Merlin answered. "Something you cared about. Something that's more important than anything." Merlin snapped the reins, pushing his horse on. Cade snapped her own horse's reins, getting it to gallop so that she could catch up with her brother.

They soon saw another broken down castle, smoke was billowing from within it.

"Looks like someone beat us to it." Micheal said.

"Bandits?" Cade asked. Lancelot just bobbed his head.

"Think we'll make it before nightfall?" Merlin questioned.

"There's only one way to find out." Lancelot said. He snapped his reins and began galloping towards the castle, followed shortly by Micheal, Merlin and Cade.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the castle, the rest of the knights were gathered round a fire. Gwaine was pulling off his boots, but as he pulled off his sock, Elyan gagged at the stench that arose. "Has something died?" he questioned. Gwaine rolled his eyes.

"Why am I always the butt?" he asked, throwing his sock down. Elyan and Leon got up and moved to the other side, by Arthur and Percival. "Pick on Percival." Gwaine said.

Percival looked at Gwaine. "Why me?"

"He washes." Elyan said.

"And he doesn't set fire to his socks." Leon said, gesturing at Gwaine's socks, which had dipped into the fire pit and had been set ablaze. Gwaine groaned and grabbed them, beating them to put the fire out. A loud clang silenced them.

"Quiet!" Arthur said. When the clang sounded again, all the knights jumped up, drawing their swords. They faced the entrance and saw a figure coming out of the shadows. As it came closer, they saw that it was Lancelot and Micheal.

"Lancelot? Micheal?" Arthur questioned, unsure if it was really him. "How are Merlin and Caden?"

Lancelot and Micheal got depressed looks on their faces. "Bad news." Lancelot started. Arthur's face fell and his shoulders slumped. Then, Lancelot smiled and shrugged. "They're still alive." He stepped aside, allowing the knights to see Merlin and Cade, the two siblings looking healthier then the knights had last seen them. The warlock and witch grinned widely.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed. "Caden!" The two walked up to the knights and were immediately enveloped in enormous embraces. Leon playfully ruffled Merlin and Cade's hair. Then the knights went over to Lancelot and Micheal while Arthur confronted the siblings. They stared at each other for a moment before Arthur clapped his hands on their shoulders. "Good to see you two." he said.

Merlin and Cade nodded, still smiling. "Yeah. Good to see you too." They paused for another moment, before Arthur put an arm around each of their shoulders and they walked back to the fire.

**So what do you think?**

**Okay, this next question, I have got to ask you guys: How many people want me to kill Lancelot off like what happened in the actual show, and how many of you want him to live? Whichever side has the most votes, is the one i go with.**


	15. Chapter 15 The Darkest Hour Part 9

**Last chapter of The Darkest Hour, finally.**

* * *

Chapter 15: The Darkest Hour Part 9

As the rest of the knights were sleeping, Merlin, Cade and Arthur were still up, sitting beside the burning wood of the fire. Arthur was leaning against one of the logs on one side. Merlin was leaning against the other side, his back to the fire. Cade was lying on her stomach close to the fire between the two men. Arthur had an extreme look of concern on his face, one that concerned the siblings.

Finally, Cade broke the silence that had overtaken all three. "It's going to be fine." She said to Arthur. "Everything will be alright."

Arthur looked at her and shook his head. "I'm just tired."

"You don't have to sacrifice yourself." Merlin said.

"To save my people." Arthur responded.

Merlin was silent for a moment. Then, "I will take your place."

Arthur looked up at him and shook his head. "Merlin…"

"What is the life of a servant, compared to that of a prince?"

"Well a good servant's hard to come by." Arthur said.

"I'm not that good." Merlin whispered, leaning closer.

"True." Arthur said, causing a smirk from Cade. "One thing, though: Look after Guinevere. I want her to be happy in her life. She deserves it."

Merlin grinned slightly and Cade looked at her brother. "Don't worry." he replied. "I'll make sure." Cade had a feeling she knew exactly what Merlin meant by that. And she didn't like it.

As the two men fell asleep, Cade was wide awake, trying to remember a spell she'd once read by accident in Everwick. She had come across some of her uncle, Andret's, old magic books and, though she didn't study them, one of the many spells had engraved itself on her memory. If Cade could remember it, it would probably be able to save all of Camelot without the need for a blood sacrifice. She just needed Merlin's help. Shaking the raven-haired man awake, she whispered her idea to her drowsy brother, who seemed to awaken more once Cade had finished. He smiled at her and nodded, before the siblings fell fast asleep.

* * *

The next morning, they rode up to a clearing in the trees, granting them view of their destination. "The Isle of the Blessed." Arthur said slowly. He received no remark from anyone, not even the snarky siblings who always had some form of remark.

They rode down to where a boatman was waiting for them. Getting in, they waited for the boatman to take them to their destination. Strange noises began sounding all around them. Once they had made it to land, they began looking for where the tear in the veil was. A loud noise startled them all, the knights drawing their swords.  
"What's that?" Cade questioned. Gwaine walked up behind her.

"I just hope I'm wrong." He said. In the next moment, a wyvern, which, Cade later learned, was a relative of the dragon, made itself known to them.

"Wyvern!" Arthur yelled. It swooped down on them, taking any opportunity to take them out. The knights swung their swords at it, but nothing seemed to work.

In the next instant, Cade heard Merlin mumbling some words, words that were similar to the words he'd used to call Kilgharrah. "**S'enthend' apokhorein nun epitello-o-o!**" Whatever those words had meant, they had appeared to work, for once Merlin spun around, his eyes flashing gold, the wyverns retreated. Gwaine laughed.

"See? That's how you deal with them." Cade smirked and rolled her eyes while Merlin just coked his head slightly, seemingly in agreement.

"We need to keep moving." Arthur said. They continued on, their eyes peeled for the wyverns. Finally, the wyverns showed again and this time, Leon, Elyan and Percival stayed behind to take care of them whilst Arthur, Gwaine, Lancelot, Micheal, Merlin and Cade continued on.

Upon entering what could've been the main room of a castle, the tear was visible, along with the Calleach herself.

"It is not often we have visitors." she said.

"Put an end to this!" Arthur commanded. "We want you to heal the tear between the two worlds!"

"It was not I who created this horror." the Calleach said. "Why should it be I that stops it?"

"Because innocent people are dying." Cade said, stepping forward.

"Indeed." The Calleach said, and then, laughed, very maniacally and creepily. That was when Gwaine got angry. Running forward, he took a swipe with his sword, only for the gatekeeper to use her magic and knock him back and out. Arthur, Cade, Merlin, Micheal and Lancelot looked first at Gwaine, then the Calleach. "Is this the best you can do?" The Calleach questioned, smiling.

"I know what you want!" Arthur exclaimed. The Calleach regarded him curiously.

"Do you?" she questioned. "And are you prepared to let me have it?"

Arthur gulped. "I'm prepared to pay whatever price is necessary."

The Calleach beckoned to Arthur, urging him towards her. Arthur obliged, beginning to walk forward. That was when Merlin made his move. "**Forb fleoge!**" Arthur was suddenly thrown back with the force of Merlin's spell and was knocked out instantly. After Arthur was knocked out, Merlin began to walk forward, Cade following close behind. It was time to put their plan into action.

"So, Emrys, Catrin," the Calleach began. "You choose to challenge me after all." The Calleach and the siblings circled round the alter in the center of the room. Upon making eye contact, the Calleach continued. "Will you give yourself to the spirits to save your prince?"

"It is my destiny." Merlin replied.

The Calleach nodded slightly. "Perhaps."

Cade suddenly grinned devilishly. "But," Cade said. "This could work just as well." Nodding to her brother the two siblings joined hands and locked their eyes with the Calleach's, blue and green to grey.

" **ácwiðee sé ****ælfsidenna hrycg æt ætbregdendlic gewritu Angel! þing him stinge æt béo ceorl æftergield!**" they exclaimed. The Calleach, actually taken by surprise, was thrown back with the intensity of the spell. Forced to comply, the Calleach was sucked back into the veil, which promptly closed, sealing it forever.

Merlin and Cade gasped and fell back, releasing each other's hands in the process. Lancelot and Micheal ran up to them. "Are you two okay?" Lancelot asked. The siblings just smiled tiredly at the two knights.

"Fine." Cade said.

"A little tired, but nothing a couple of days rest won't cure." Merlin continued. That was the moment that Arthur and Gwaine to wake up. They were sitting up right as the other knights entered.

"You closed it!" Leon exclaimed. Merlin and Cade shrugged.

"I guess." Merlin said. "We don't really know how we did though."

"We got knocked out ourselves." Cade interjected. "Everything's a big blur."

The knights seemed to believe it, going over to help Arthur and Gwaine up while Lancelot and Micheal helped Merlin and Cade.

"Can't believe they bought it." Cade said.

"I know what you mean." Merlin replied. "But then again, they are the thick-headed ones of the knights of Camelot." Merlin and Cade laughed softly to themselves. Another deadly adventure done and gone.

* * *

**ácwiðee sé ælfsidenna hrycg æt ætbregdendlic gewritu Angel! þing him stinge æt béo ceorl æftergield! - Banish the spirits to whence they came! Allow them never to be free again!**

**There you guys go. Lancelot lives, just like I promised. No ones dies as promised. **

**Read and Review!**


	16. Chapter 16 Aftermath

**New chapter! YAY! You guys have been amazing with the reviews and the help! I just wanted to thank all of you that reviewed! I enjoyed reading them!**

**So, before I start blathering again *smirks* On with the chapter. Go on. Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 16: Aftermath

The morning after returning to Camelot, Merlin awoke with his spirits bright despite the fact that Gaius had told both him and Cade that they would need several days to recover from the spell they had performed to seal the veil. He jumped out of bed and ran around the curtain separating his section of the room from Cade's. His sister was still fast asleep, obviously still worn out from the day before.

As he turned to leave, he heard a cough emit from Cade's direction. Turning back around to face his sister, he found her sitting up, a hand to her mouth as a coughing fit erupted from her body. He quickly went to Cade's bed and, sitting beside her, he rubbed her back until the coughing stopped.

Cade groaned and opened her eyes, looking towards her brother. "That could've gone better."

"You were practically coughing your lungs out!" Merlin exclaimed. "And now you make jokes?"

"It's not like you haven't done it yourself." Cade muttered, but Merlin heard her.

"I'm going to go get Gaius." He said and, before Cade could stop him, he had walked out the bedroom door in search of said physician. Cade groaned and laid back against her pillow. Merlin overreacted every time he saw that she was even a little bit sick. Sometimes, it just drove her insane. She looked up as her brother came back into the room, this time, with Gaius in tow.

The physician walked calmly up to Cade's bed and sat down next to her. He put a hand on her forehead, checking for fever. When he felt heat rising off the young girl's forehead, he nodded towards Merlin. "Cade does indeed have a fever." Merlin nodded in agreement. "The coughing is just an effect of whatever is ailing her."

"Which will be even worse than it would've been had you left me alone." Cade grumbled. Once she had turned ten, Cade refused to allow herself to be treated like an invalid, though she was fully aware that her sickly nature would cause her to be an invalid on more than one occasion.

"Just calm down and let us care for you." Gaius said. Cade crossed her arms and muttered angrily to herself. Gaius chuckled and turned to Merlin. "In the meantime, you, Merlin, had better go attend to Arthur." The physician raised an eyebrow as said warlock opened his mouth to protest. At the raised eyebrow, Merlin's jaw snapped shut and he just sighed and nodded. He walked out the door, taking one last look at Cade and Gaius before closing the door of the chambers behind him.

* * *

When he walked into Arthur's chambers, he found that the prat was still fast asleep. Smirking inwardly, Merlin travelled across the room to the curtains, yanking them wide open and causing the prince to groan in protest.

"Merlin! Caden!" he exclaimed, which caused a round of chuckles from said manservant. Arthur looked up from his pillow, his mouth open, ready to scold what he thought were two siblings standing in his room and waking him up at an unheard of hour. Then he closed his mouth, his eyes darting around. Merlin had to fight to hold back another round of chuckles. Arthur turned back towards the struggling servant and glared at him. "Merlin, where is your sister, my other servant?"

"Sick." Merlin answered simply. "She caught some kind of chill. She woke up practically coughing her lungs out and when Gaius checked her over, she was running a fever."

Arthur sighed. "So I'm stuck with one useless servant today."

Merlin chuckled audibly. "I may be useless, but Cade sure isn't and you know it Arthur."

"True, she isn't useless. She's loads more efficient then you, Merlin."

Merlin smirked. _That's because, unlike me, Cade does ALL her chores by hand. Or, at least tries to._

"As soon as she is recovered, I expect her back to work, is that understood?" Arthur instructed.

"Prat."

"Idiot."

Merlin smirked again and set to work on his chores.

* * *

Cade groaned as Gaius passed her the cup with a murky looking liquid inside. She glanced up at Gaius. "Do I really have to drink this?"

Gaius narrowed his eyes. "You've coughed so much, that you're coughing up blood." the physician began. "The sooner you drink that, the sooner it'll ease up and Merlin won't have a heart attack if he sees you've coughed up blood."

"Fair point." Cade said, acquiescing and drinking the vile tasting concoction. In minutes, Cade's throat had stopped tickling, making her able to take a deep breath in without coughing. She laid down and closed her eyes, exhaustion setting in.

Gaius smiled as Cade fell asleep. He exited the room just as his older ward walked in. Merlin was obviously tired, Gaius could see it in the boy's eyes. After giving the boy a light sleeping draft to help him, he sent Merlin off to bed. As Merlin walked in, Gaius smiled as he saw Merlin grin in Cade's direction before changing into his nightclothes and falling in his bed on his stomach, falling asleep instantly.

* * *

**Just a filler chapter, but a chapter nonetheless. Hope you guys enjoyed! Wicked Day Part 1 should hopefully be done soon, but I'm working on all this senior mumbo jumbo so i'm not making any promises i may not be able to keep.**


	17. Chapter 17 The Wicked Day Part 1

**Here's the next chapter. So sorry about the delay, but I just graduated high school 4 days ago and have been spending the past 3 days keeping an eye on my 9-year-old brother while our mom was finishing up her teaching year before the summer.**

**But anyways, ENJOY THE CHAPTER!**

* * *

Chapter 17: The Wicked Day Part 1

Two days passed and Cade recovered. Soon, Gaius declared her well enough to return to Arthur's service, which she gladly welcomed. Upon entering Arthur's chambers, she found Merlin already there. He was looking out of the window behind Arthur's desk, which Cade found odd. Walking towards the window, she bowed her head in respect to Arthur and looked out of the window beside her brother. She now saw what had captured all of Merlin's attention: A parade of entertainers, jugglers, acrobats and such, had entered the gates of the citadel.

When one of the acrobats had tossed another in the air and than caught them in an amazing fashion, Merlin and Cade gaped in awe. "Oh!" Cade exclaimed. "Did you see that!" Merlin nodded while Cade felt Arthur lean over the siblings to glance at what had excited his servants.  
"It's a man throwing sticks in the air." He said without enthusiasm. The siblings looked oddly at each other before looking after Arthur as he turned away. The two pulled their heads back into Arthur's room and looked at him curiously.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked. "It's your birthday. A huge feast is being prepared. You've got dancers, jugglers and acrobats to entertain you."

As Arthur walked away, Merlin and Cade followed him. Cade leaned in closer and said, "It must be a terrible burden."

"Perhaps I'm less easily impressed than you." Arthur snapped.

"We've been really looking forward to it." Merlin said.

"Because you have minds of children." Arthur indicated, walking further as Merlin and Cade stopped. They looked at each other and smirked.

"And yet we're still more intelligent then you." Cade muttered softly.

"I heard that!" Arthur exclaimed, causing the siblings to smile widely.

* * *

Later that morning, Cade walked down the corridors, all the while, still chuckling at how she and Merlin were excited for the entertainment that was to come that night, while Arthur found them childish. As a result, Cade was not paying attention to whoever ended up walking in front of her. She only stopped when her small, pale, thin body collided with another body that was much bigger and broader than her own.

"Oh, sorry, I wasn't-" Cade stopped her attempt at an apology when she saw who it was exactly that she had run into: Micheal. The knight grinned at her.

"You should really cast some spell to make it so you won't run into people." he suggested, his grin widening. Cade smirked.

Cade still relished in the fact that it wasn't just Lancelot and Gaius that knew the two siblings had magic, but Micheal as well. Similar with how Lancelot had discovered Merlin's magic, Micheal had discovered Cade's, and by chain, Merlin's, magic the day Morgana and Morgause had overthrown Uther and overtaken Camelot the previous year. Cade had actually been stupidly practicing some of her more controllable spells right out in the open where practically anybody could've seen her. But Cade had assumed that she had outsmarted everybody. She had been very wrong.

She hadn't counted on Micheal returning with water from the nearby stream. He had walked in right as Cade was getting the best part of the spell done. He had accidentally startled her, making the spell cease automatically. When Cade panicked, Micheal promised her that he wouldn't turn her in. From there, he made the connection that Merlin possessed powerful magic just as Cade did. Cade had no choice but to confirm it, seeing as she had been found out already.

Cade narrowed her eyes at Micheal. "You know why I won't do that." she said. Micheal smirked. "Yes, unfortunately." he answered. "Uther would have your head if your magic was discovered."

"Not so loud!" Cade exclaimed. "Are you trying to give me away?" Micheal smiled apologetically.

"Sorry." he said. Cade grinned.

"I'd better get going." She informed. Micheal nodded and Cade walked off.

* * *

That night, at Arthur's party, Cade saw that Uther had actually managed to show. The king hadn't been quite right in the head since Morgana's betrayal, and honestly, Cade couldn't blame him. She'd seen the way Morgana had used her influence on Uther to help Morgause and only Cade and Merlin had noticed it.

Cade looked up when a knife thrower asked Arthur to participate and show everyone his "legendary" bravery. Cade and Merlin both looked as Arthur smiled and stood, saying,

"Of course." The two siblings walked over as Arthur took off his cape and jacket, handing it to them.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Merlin asked. Cade looked warily at the knife thrower.

Arthur frowned slightly. "It's a knife thrower, of course it's not safe." he replied. "But I couldn't refuse in front of all these people, now could I?" Cade rolled her eyes at Arthur's need to satisfy his ego. Arthur walked up to the spinning table and, after he was strapped to it, the knife thrower leaned in closer.

"Don't worry, my lord, I never miss my target." He said. Arthur smiled and nodded.

"Good." He said. "Glad to hear it."

"May I?" The knife thrower said, sticking an apple in Arthur's mouth. The strong man began spinning the table round and round as the knife thrower prepared his knives. He threw the first one, which landed right close to Arthur's left ear. The guests all gasped in awe as Merlin and Cade watched the knife thrower carefully. The second knife embedded itself close to Arthur's right ear.

As the knife thrower threw the last one, Merlin and Cade kept their gaze locked on this one, should their magic be needed to once again safe the prince's life. Thankfully enough, this one embedded itself in the apple in Arthur's mouth. The crowd all sighed as the strong man helped Arthur down. Merlin helped Arthur get his jacket back on as Arthur took a big bite out of the apple. He smiled at the siblings.

"See you two, nothing to worry about." he said and begin showing off in front of the crowd as the two servants smiled after him, glad that they were apparently wrong to fear for Arthur's life.

Neither sibling heard the knife thrower's next words: "As soon as the sedative on the apple takes hold, we shall strike."

* * *

**That bit in the middle about Micheal and Cade was to answer the question of when did Micheal find out about Cade's magic. I thought that would be a good way to tell you guys.**

**Read and Review please. And again, sorry about the delay. I will work harder to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, I swear. This should be easier now that I've graduated. (Though my mom wants me to get a job so i'm not sure how well this'll work out) HAPPY SUMMER!**


	18. Chapter 18 The Wicked Day Part 2

**Here's the next chapter. Two chapters in one night. Even better then usual.**

**Though I have to say, writing while being driven mad by a mosquito bite infestation on my legs and arms when I'm allergic to them, this actaully turned out well.**

* * *

Chapter 18: The Wicked Day Part 2

Arthur stumbled into his chambers followed by Merlin and Cade. The stumbling made it seem as though the prince had drunk too much and was now too hung over to perceive much of what was going on around him.

"You're telling us that you weren't even a little bit scared?" Cade asked, grinning mischievously.

"Of course I wasn't." Arthur replied. "I'm a warrior. You learn to control your fear." At that moment, Arthur collided with his bed post, which knocked him backwards into Merlin, who immediately steadied him. He then preceded to take off his jacket and sat down on his bed.

"You looked scared." Merlin said leaning against the post.  
"I could see my father enjoying himself." Arthur continued. Cade smirked as it appeared that the prince hadn't heard Merlin. "Got a little quiet towards the end though." He stood. "Perhaps I should go and see him." As he began walking away, Cade turned, opening her mouth to speak, but stopped and whirled back around, blushing slightly.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? You can barely stand up." Merlin said.

"Are you saying I'm drunk?" Arthur questioned.

"No." Merlin said, scratching the right side of his jaw. "I'm just saying I don't think you should be wandering about the palace."

"And why is that?"

"You're not wearing any trousers!" Cade exclaimed suddenly, causing both boys to jump, followed by weakly stifled chuckles from Merlin. Arthur looked down and saw that his trousers were in fact down, hanging just over the rims of his boots.

"Good point." He said, reaching down to pull them up and walking out the door as Merlin and Cade burst out laughing.

"He's definitely drunk." Cade said.

"That's going to kill him one of these days." Merlin said.

Cade smirked. "At least he isn't Gwaine."

"Yeah, we don't need another one of him." Merlin agreed.

* * *

The prince yawned as he made his way through the passages to his father's chambers, oblivious to the knife thrower following him. He passed the pair of guards outside them and entered Uther's chambers, the king seated as usual in his chair by the window, half asleep. Arthur gently removed an empty goblet from his father's grasp, setting it down on the adjacent table even as he sat down in the chair across from him. Nothing was said as Arthur struggled to stay awake. Fighting the drowsiness, he failed to hear the quiet thuds of the two guards outside being felled by thrown daggers. He didn't notice anything until he saw a reflected glimpse upon the side of the table's wine-pitcher, showing a figure advancing on him with a sword held up to strike.

He grabbed the sword that was always kept close to the king, leaping up from the chair and turning to block the strike. "Guards!" he slurred, still wobbly from whatever the knife thrower had done to him.

But no one came, Arthur forced to defend himself with limbs that felt like lead, and reactions dulled by the lethargy that plagued him. He was quickly knocked off balance, losing his grip on the blade. The sword then clattered to the floor by the chairs at the window, Arthur dropping to his knees while his attacker made to deal the killing blow. The sword came down only to clash against steel. The knife thrower looked up to see the king, who had awoken to the fighting, holding a sword in defense of his son. Uther glared at the man, furious. "It will take more than a coward like you to kill my son."

As the king fought the would-be assassin, Arthur watched, unable to do anything to assist his father due to the drowsiness he still felt. Finally, just as it seemed that Uther had the upper hand, the knife thrower pulled out one of his knives as Uther sank the final blow. The knife shot forward, stabbing the king in the chest. The knife thrower fell down, dead and Uther stumbled back. Arthur got to his feet and rushed to his father's side. "No!" Arthur exclaimed. "Guards, somebody! We need help."

"Arthur, it's my time. You're ready." Uther said quietly.

"No, I'm not ready." Arthur argued.

"You've been ready for some time." Uther countered.

"No." Arthur said softly. Then he shouted: "Somebody help!"

* * *

**Sorry this one was so short, but this was the part that was actually pretty difficult for me to write. Hope it satisfied all the same.**

**Read and Review please.**


	19. Chapter 19 The Wicked Day Part 3

**So,** **here's the next chapter. I just updated my DP fic as well if you want to check that out as well. But, sorry its been so long. Ive been kind of stumped on this chapter, so i apologize if it is short.**

**I do hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and i'll try to do better with the next one, but as im currently looking for a job, i will not guarentee anything.**

* * *

Chapter 19: The Wicked Day Part 3

Merlin and Cade looked on as Gaius checked over Uther's condition. Arthur stood nearby, a look of immense distress on his face. As Gaius finished his check over, he looked at the two siblings and sadly shook his head. Cade inched closer to Merlin and wrapped her arms around his middle. Merlin responded by wrapping his arms around Cade's shoulders and holding her tight.

"I'm sorry, sire." Gaius said, turning now to Arthur. Arthur looked at Gaius, eagerness in his eyes. "The wound has pierced his heart. He's bleeding on the inside. I'm afraid there is nothing I can do."

"Thank you, Gaius." Arthur said. He looked back at his father, the sadness returning to his eyes. Gaius walked out, followed by Merlin and Cade.

"What are we going to do?" Cade asked. "I honestly can't stand to see Arthur this upset." Merlin nodded.

"Neither can I." he said.

"I wish there was more I could do." Gaius said, the siblings nodding in agreement.

* * *

Later that night, the young warlock and witch stood in Arthur's chambers, gazing out the window. They looked up as Arthur came into the room.  
"What's going on?" he asked, seeing the two at his window.

The siblings looked at each other before turning their attention back to out of the window. "It's a vigil for your father." Merlin said sadly. "The people wish to share their grief." Cade looked at Arthur in time to see a look of anguish pass over his face.

"Why are they acting as if he's already dead, when he's still alive in his body?" Arthur questioned.

"They just want to be ready for the worst." Cade answered.

"They can give up hope but I won't." Arthur said. Cade cautiously put a hand on the prince's shoulder.

"I know it's hard to accept." she said. "To be real honest, I wish this wasn't even happening, but there's nothing we can do, I'm afraid."

"There is a way to heal my father." Arthur said. Merlin and Cade looked at him sadly.

"How?" They questioned.

"With magic." With those two words, the sad looks on the faces of the magical siblings changed quickly to one of shock.

* * *

As the two sat with Gaius in their chambers, they explained what had happened to Gaius. "Arthur's planning on using magic?"

"He's desperate. He knows it's his only hope of healing Uther." Merlin said.

"Merlin, Cade please tell me you're not going to do this."

"We'd be lying, if we said no." Cade said, smiling at the old man.

"You can't both do it." He said. "Arthur would be suspicious." The siblings thought a moment, before Merlin's face lit up.

"Dragoon!" he exclaimed. Gaius and Cade looked up at him, Cade from confusion and Gaius from shock.

"Who?" Cade asked.

"Dragoon is an alias Merlin used once to get Gwen out of trouble a few years ago." Gaius said. "Merlin makes himself about eighty years old and Arthur doesn't suspect a thing." He turned his attention to the young man. "But are you sure? Uther won't thank you for healing him with magic."

"But if it works, Arthur's opinion of magic could be changed forever." Merlin replied.

"If it works we won't have to hide anymore." Cade said, understanding the opportunity they now found themselves in.

"You still can't do this, even if you use Dragoon, it's too risky!" Gaius exclaimed.

"Arthur didn't recognize me when I was eighty years old, there's no reason why he should this time." Merlin said.

"But how are we going to pull this off, Merlin?" Cade questioned, as she brushed her raven hair from her face, her green eyes shining with curiosity.  
"We can tell him we know of an old man in the forest who would be willing to help." Merlin began. "Cade, you can lead Arthur to where I'll be waiting as Dragoon."

"What will 'Merlin' be doing while Arthur and I are talking to 'Dragoon'?" Cade asked.

"Tell him Gaius gave me chores to do and as a result, I was unable to accompany you both." Merlin answered.

"You have a plan for everything, don't you, big bro?" Cade asked. Merlin just grinned his trademark goofy grin at his little sister.

"Of course I do, little sis." Merlin said. "Where would we be if I didn't?"

"Probably a whole lot safer." Said girl murmured under her breath.

* * *

**So, what did you guys think? Was it good? I really did try, and if you noticed, Ive improved Cade so she isnt being made out like shes just there to say merlin's lines. im trying to do better with this.**

**I already have a start on "A Servant of Two Masters" Part 1 of that is done, however i cant post it till i get there. I may post it out of order. Maybe before or after "Aithusa". What do you guys think?**


	20. Chapter 20 The Wicked Day Part 4

**Next chapter, finally. I think this one is alot longer then the last one so i hope that means i followed through on my promise.**

**So, anyways, read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 20: The Wicked Day Part 4

Cade and Merlin walked quietly into Arthur's chambers the next morning. As the door opened, Arthur, who stood beside his bed, a thoughtful expression on his face, looked up at the siblings. Eagerness and hope showed up clearly in his sky blue eyes.

"Well?" he questioned. "What did Gaius have to say?"

"He didn't know much," Merlin began. "But he has heard of a sorcerer who may be willing to help us. He's an old man who lives out in the forest of Blastake. Gaius thinks he might be able to help you."

"Will Gaius lead us to him?" Arthur asked. Now, it was Cade's turn to step in.

"Gaius told Merlin and myself all that we need. However, he can't come with us, we'll have to find him on our own." Cade said. "And I'm sorry, Sire, but it's just going to be you and myself."

"What will Merlin be doing?" Arthur asked, glaring at said manservant.

"Gaius has given me many chores and I'm afraid they will not be permitting me to leave with you both." Merlin answered. "Beside, Arthur, Cade knows the route better than I do. She's your best hope of reaching this sorcerer." Arthur looked at Cade, who smiled and bowed her head towards the prince. He looked back at Merlin, but kept alternating looks between the siblings.

"If you were in my position," he began and the siblings leaned in to hear him better. "And it was your mother, would you use magic to save her life?" Merlin smiled lightly.

"We, and I know I speak for both of us, would do whatever it took to ensure our mother's life." Merlin said. Cade nodded.

"Even if it meant using something we thought to be evil." Cade added.

Arthur looked away, seeming to contemplate what the two had said. Then he looked up. "Prepare the horses. Gather supplies. We ride at first light." he commanded. The two servants bowed and left the room, grinning widely at each other for their success.

"Now," Cade said. "You just need to get to that cottage we agreed on before Arthur and myself do, turn into Dragoon and voila! Magic saves Uther, Arthur changes his opinion about it and, once he's king, we're free!" Cade exclaimed the last word quietly, only held back from a full blown shout by her brother.

* * *

The next day, Arthur and Cade departed. Merlin had already left some time before themselves in order to get to the cottage before Arthur and Cade and become Dragoon. As the prince and the young witch travelled through the forest, they finally came across a cottage that had the look of belonging to a charcoal maker. This was the agreed upon spot that Merlin and Cade had decided on.

The two clopped up towards the house, stopping several feet away. Arthur got off first, followed by Cade. He looked oddly at the cottage. "Are you sure this is right, Caden?" Arthur asked. "It looks like a charcoal maker's home."

"An old man like him can't make a living off just practicing magic." Cade answered. "Charcoal making is his way to earn money in order to survive." Arthur nodded, seeming to buy Cade's excuse. The young girl hoped that Merlin had already changed into Dragoon and was now inside the cottage.

The two walked up to the door, where Arthur knocked hard on the crumbling wood. After a moment of waiting, the door opened, revealing a thin old man with sapphire blue eyes and long white hair and a long white beard. Looking into his eyes, Cade immediately recognized this old man as her once twenty-one year old brother. The old man glared at them and his glare was so hysterical that Cade had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing. Arthur, however, seemed to recognize him, as an old man he had met before.

"You!" he exclaimed. "Dragoon!"

Dragoon eyed Arthur hard-like. "So, we meet again, Arthur Pendragon." Cade tensed as she saw Arthur reach for his sword. She looked up at 'Dragoon' and saw that he too was eyeing the prince's sword warily. "You have come to kill me?" he questioned.

"That wasn't my intention." Arthur answered.

"We need help." Cade burst out the prince's question. Said prince glared down at the young servant, who shied away slightly, grinning nervously at his glare.

"Caden, let me handle this." he said. Cade nodded and stepped back slightly, far enough for Arthur to talk to 'Dragoon', but close enough to help should the prince attempt to kill her brother. "Caden speaks correctly. I am in need of your help."

"And why is that?" Dragoon asked.

"My father is gravely injured and he's dying." Arthur answered. "I came seeking your help to use magic to heal him."

"You would ask me to heal a man who would have me killed at a moment's notice?" Dragoon questioned. Cade fought back the smile that threatened to break out on her face at her brother's acting skills. The young man was clearly smarter than anyone had ever given him credit for. Dragoon began cutting a bushel of herbs with a knife on his cutting board.

"I know what I'm asking of you and I know you have no reason to help me." Arthur said. "But my father's condition is deteriorating rapidly and you're his only hope." Dragoon looked up at Arthur, then back at his herbs. "Please! I'll give you anything you like: land, gold. Name your price."

"I do not want your gold!" Dragoon shouted. Then his voice calmed. "All I have ever wanted is peace for people like me. For those of us who practice magic to be free to live in harmony and not worry about losing our lives for something we really can't help. That is all I ask. That is the price for your father's life."

Arthur looked away, a thoughtful expression on his face. Then he looked up. "I give you my solemn word: When I'm king things will be different. You won't have to live in fear."

A smile broke out on Dragoon's face. He walked closer to Arthur. "Then, I will help you!" he said enthusiastically. Once again, Cade had to bite her bottom lip to suppress the giggles threatening to burst forth.

"Then we have no time to lose." Arthur said. "We must go at once."

"I can't!" Dragoon exclaimed. "I have things to prepare. I shall meet you at the entrance to the castle tonight." Arthur nodded, seeing the determined expression on the old man's face. He turned to Cade.

"Come on, Caden, let's go." And with that, the prince departed.

Waiting one moment, Cade walked up to Dragoon and hugged him, the laughter finally bursting out in softness. "Great job, big brother." she said. Merlin nodded.

"Thank you, Cade, now go one before Arthur decides to leave you behind." Merlin said.

"Cade!" Arthur's voice rang out.

Cade grinned widely and, winking at her brother, left, shouting out, "Coming, Arthur!" Merlin turned and drank down the de-aging potion he had brought and waited until Arthur and Cade were far away before making his departure.

* * *

**How was this chapter, guys? Good? Bad? Awesomely amazing? Read and review and let me know if you dont mind.**

**I want you guys opinion: I plan on doing "Aithusa" next after im done with "The Wicked Day", but after that, I was debating on whether i should go ahead and start posting one of my favorite series four episodes: "A Servant of Two Masters". What are you guys thoughts? Let me know!**


	21. Chapter 21 The Wicked Day Part 5

**I think this may just be my longest chapter yet. So, read and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 21: The Wicked Day Part 5

Later that morning, both Merlin and Cade were skimming through Gaius's books on healing so fast that the physician began to get a little bit frightened. The moment the two had returned, they had begun going through the physician's books as fast as their arms, legs and eyes would allow.

"I take it Arthur agreed?" Gaius questioned, already knowing the answer by the way the warlock and witch were behaving. Merlin was sat at the dinner table, spoon in one hand, book in the other. Cade was at Gaius's work bench, her chin resting on her arms which were crossed on the book she had in front of her. Her eyes were drifting shut, showing that the younger sibling was beginning to tire, whereas her brother was still wide awake, flipping through the books.

Moments later, Cade's eyes were closed and she was snoring lightly, her arms spread out in front of her and her head laying on the open book in front of her, her mouth hanging slightly open. Gaius chuckled at his niece's behavior and nudged his nephew on the shoulder. Said nephew looked up at Gaius expectantly, his blue eyes shining with both intrigue as well as fatigue.

"Cade's fallen asleep." Gaius informed. Merlin peered round Gaius and found Cade sleeping, exactly as Gaius had said. Like his uncle, Merlin chuckled at his sister's behavior. He stood up, stretching and yawning widely, his back and arms popping in the process and walked over to where his sister was fast asleep. He gently put his arms behind her neck and under her knees and picked her up. The minute he picked her up, her thin arms wrapped around his neck, her face burying into his collar. He fought a laugh and carried Cade to their shared room. He laid her down on the bed and covered her up, fighting the sleep that threatened to overtake him.

"Go to bed, Merlin." a voice behind him said. Merlin turned and saw Gaius standing in the doorway, a wide smile on his face. "You still have time before Arthur expects to meet Dragoon. In the meantime, while you rest, I'll take a look at those books and see if I can find anything of use." Merlin just nodded, not feeling up to arguing with the old man. Going around the screen separating his side of the room from Cade's, he laid down on his bed and was instantly asleep.

* * *

Later, when Gaius woke the two up, they once again began searching for the right healing spell that would work on Uther. That was when Gaius brought out a book with the right sequence of herbs and spells that would be needed to heal the dying king. Like Gaius, Cade was just there to help Merlin, as the young warlock would be the one disguising himself to heal the king. Cade would remain behind in order to cover for him with Arthur, should the prince wonder where his manservant was. Gaius held a book up to Merlin and pointed to a page he had opened up to. "You must use only four drops. Anymore could be dangerous."

"Or something could go wrong with the spell." Merlin said. Both Gaius and Cade glared at him.

"Trust in your abilities, Merlin." Gaius said, smiling. Cade put a reassuring hand on her brother's and grinned at him.

"Everything'll be fine." she said. "Just watch." This earned the young girl a small smile from the boy.

"Merlin!" Arthur's voice shouted. "Caden!" The two servants looked up towards the door, immediately knowing that the prince was coming. Merlin looked at Gaius and Cade.

"You have to get rid of him." he said hurriedly, grabbing his medicinal materials and darting behind the door just as it opened. As the prince walked in, Gaius grabbed a book, pretending to be studying something of medical use while Cade took a book in hand, holding it out to the physician.

"Arthur." Gaius said. Arthur looked around the room, seeing Cade standing beside Gaius.

"Gaius, have you seen my useless toad of a servant?" Arthur asked, looking around the room.

Gaius shook his head. "I'm afraid not." Arthur looked at Cade, who shrugged innocently.

"Well, where on earth is he?" Arthur questioned. Gaius looked away a moment and Cade wondered what excuse he would give Arthur for her brother's absence.

"Have you tried the tavern?" Gaius asked. Cade resisted the urge to slap her forehead. Arthur just nodded, an annoyed expression crossing his face.

"Tavern." he said, turning away. "Of course." The prince grabbed the door handle and, leaving, said, "I am going to make him wish he was never born." And he was gone. As the door closed, a very annoyed looking Merlin was staring back at Gaius.

"Why'd you tell him I was at the tavern?"

"It was the first thing that popped into my head."

"Well, next time try the second or third thing that pops into your head, just anywhere but the tavern." Merlin began to walk to the door. As he opened it, he took one last look at Gaius, who nodded and smiled.

"Good luck Merlin." he said. And Merlin departed, followed by Cade. As soon as they were walking across the courtyard, the two parted, Merlin going one way to change into Dragoon while Cade went to Arthur to cover for Merlin.

* * *

That evening, Arthur, along with Cade, waited for the elderly sorcerer. As the two waited, they heard footsteps and turned around to see Dragoon standing there with his hands clasped behind his back. Arthur sighed with relief. "I was starting to think you weren't coming."

"I gave you my word." Dragoon said. "And here I am."

"Good." Arthur said. "We must hurry." He began walking away, but a hiss from Dragoon stopped him and made him turn around again.

"I am led to believe that the king's palace is that way." Dragoon said, pointing in the opposite direction than where Arthur had been heading.

"I can't be seen walking through the main gate with a known sorcerer." Arthur said. Dragoon gasped with shock.

"So you are already going back on your word." He said. "You promised that I wouldn't have to live in fear."

"You're forgetting that you've yet to heal my father. When you have, I'll give you everything I promised." At this, Dragoon nodded slowly and began to follow Arthur. As they entered, Arthur began walking faster than Dragoon. Cade remained close by. Dragoon's slow walking just seemed to annoy Arthur. "Is this really as fast as you can walk?" he asked. Dragoon glared at him, stopping and grabbing the wall to support himself as he caught his breath.

"When you are old, we'll see how fast you walk. I need to rest a moment." Dragoon said.

"There's no time!" Arthur exclaimed.

"Then perhaps you should carry me." Dragoon said. Cade snickered at the look of surprise that crossed Arthur's face. The prince sighed.

"Fine." He said bending down in front of the old sorcerer.. "If it'll be quicker, then I'll carry you." Dragoon looked around in surprise. Neither he nor Cade had expected him to give in so easily. The sorcerer climbed onto the younger man's back and grasped his shoulders tightly. As they began walking again, Dragoon kicked Arthur's legs just as you would a horse. The prince looked around in shock. "Did you just kick me?"

Dragoon looked at him and scoffed. "Now who's wasting time?" he said. "Yaah!" he exclaimed, hitting Arthur with his hand. As they began walking once again Dragoon said, "Faster. Faster." responding in another round of suppressed giggles from the young witch.

In the castle, Arthur walked up to the guards. "You're dismissed."

"But sire we were instructed not to leave our posts." one guard said.

"And I'm telling you you are dismissed." the prince replied.

"Yes my lord." the guard said and nodded to his companion. The two guards then departed and that was when Arthur signaled Dragoon and Cade to come out. They went into the king's chambers and Dragoon got out his supplies. Arthur and Cade looked on.

Dragoon dribbled four drops of a potion into Uther's mouth. He then took out a bushel of herbs and, taking a deep breath, began to say the enchantment, when he was stopped by Arthur. "Something wrong?" Dragoon asked.

"My father's taught me never to trust magic and now I'm using it to save him." the prince said.

"Your whole life has been saved using magic more times than you can imagine." Dragoon said.

"What on earth are you talking about?" Arthur asked. Cade looked at Dragoon, her breath held tight.

"I merely mean that magic is all around you. It is woven into the very fabric of the world."

"How can I know what to do?" Arthur questioned.

"I know you have suffered because of magic." Dragoon said. "As many have. But not all magic user, not all sorcerers are the same. I only wish to show you that magic can be used for good. I hope, one day you will see me in a different light."

Arthur looked between Dragoon and his father. Cade placed her hand on his shoulder. "It'll be okay Arthur." she said. "Magic is not evil. It's those who use it that way that are the truly the evil ones. Magic is just like a weapon no matter what way you look at it." Arthur seemed to consider their words and gestured for Dragoon to continue.

Dragoon nodded and began the enchantment. "**Efencume… aetgaedre, eala gastas craeft ige: gestrice pis lic forod**." They all looked at Uther as Dragoon finished the spell. A minute passed and the three saw the king opening his eyes for the first time in days. Arthur smiled widely, tears welling in his eyes.

"Father." he said. Uther looked at him and smiled.

"Arthur." the king said. Dragoon and Cade sighed with relief. Then, all three frowned as Uther began to gasp for breath. Arthur looked at Dragoon.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"I don't know." Dragoon said. The two watched on helplessly as the king continued his struggle, and then stopped altogether. Dragoon placed his fingers on Uther's neck, and a look of distress covered his face. "He's dead." he said.

"No, he can't be." Arthur said. He began shaking his father's shoulder. "Father? Father?" He looked up at Dragoon. "What have you done?"

"This wasn't supposed to happen." Dragoon said helplessly.

"You gave me your word. You have killed him." Arthur said. Dragoon shook his head. "You killed him!" the prince exclaimed and went around the bed, his sword drawn. "You'll die for what you've done!" Arthur took a swipe at Dragoon.

"Arthur, no!" Cade yelled. But Dragoon took care of Arthur at that moment by knocking him out and making his getaway. As he ran behind a wall, he sighed with sadness and then, uncorking the potion, drank it down, becoming Merlin again. Reentering the chambers, Merlin found Gaius, Cade, Arthur and Gwen gathered round Uther's bed. Gaius looked up at Merlin sadly then back at Arthur.

"I'm sorry, Arthur." he said. "The king is dead."

* * *

**One more chapter of "The Wicked Day" and then on to Aithusa. **

**I want you guys opinion: I'm still debating on whether i should go ahead and start posting one of my favorite series four episodes after "Aithusa".: "A Servant of Two Masters". What are you guys thoughts? Let me know!**


	22. Chapter 22 The Wicked Day Part 6

**The end of "The Wicked Day" has arrived. I hope you all enjoyed. **

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Chapter 22: The Wicked Day Part 6

As Gaius, Merlin, and Cade returned to the physician's chambers, depression ripping at their hearts, Merlin was trying to figure out what had happened.

"The spell was working." The young warlock said. Cade rubbed Merlin's arm reassuringly. "I know it was. I did everything right. I don't know what happened."

"I think I do." Gaius said. The siblings looked at him, confusion etched in their faces. The physician held out a necklace, the two walking closer to get a better look. "I found it around Uther's neck. It's been enchanted." Merlin and Cade walked closer, both looking at him with confusion. "And such an enchantment would reverse the effects of your healing spell. Uther didn't stand a chance."

"Morgana?" Cade asked. Gaius nodded and wrapped his fingers around the necklace.

"I believe so." he said and began walking away.

* * *

The next morning, the castle was filled with gloom. Losing the king had not done wonders for anyone. So it was that when Merlin in Cade walked into Arthur's chambers, they found the prince sitting at his table with a vacant expression on his face. "I am so sorry." Cade said as Merlin closed the door. The prince said nothing.

Merlin walked towards the table, Cade remaining by the door as her brother began talking to Arthur. "I wish that there was something I could have done."

"No one but me is to blame for this." Arthur said.

"Arthur, you are not to blame." Merlin said.

"But I am." said prince replied, looking up at Merlin. "I'm the one who chose to use magic. My father spent twenty years fighting magic, so you would think that I knew better. I was so arrogant. And that arrogance cost my father his life."

"You did what you thought was right. I'm sure that that old sorcerer meant no harm. Maybe the spell went wrong. Uther was dying. Maybe nothing could've saved him."

"We'll never know." Arthur said. "All I know is that now I've lost both my parents to magic. It is pure evil. I'll never lose sight of that again." There was a knock at the door and Arthur left. Once he had, the two siblings shared sad looks.

"It's not his fault, and it's not yours either, Merlin." Cade said, walking up to her brother and hugging him tightly.

Later that evening, Merlin, Cade and Gaius left Arthur to mourn his father. The three sat on a bench and waited.

"We must leave him to mourn." Gaius said. Merlin said nothing, only looking off into space. Cade could see that he still blamed himself for Uther's death. Gaius looked at Merlin and saw something similar, saying, "Merlin?"

"This is all my fault." Merlin said, finally. "I killed him."

Gaius turned towards his nephew. "You did not kill Uther. Morgana did. Uther's spirit died when she broke his heart. You must look to the future. Uther's death will allow Arthur's progression to the throne. You must help the prince restore peace and stability to the land."

"Magic will still be out-lawed." Merlin said. "I've turned Arthur against it forever. He'll never know who Cade and I really are."

"That day will come, I'm sure of it." Gaius said. "Arthur will be under a lot of pressure now that he's king. He will need you, more than ever. You and Cade both. There's nothing more to be done. Let's go and have some supper." Gaius got up, expecting Merlin and Cade to follow him.

"I think we'll wait here." Merlin said. Gaius nodded and began walking down the hall back to his chambers.

* * *

The next morning found Merlin and Cade sitting against the stairwell outside the council chambers, the latter fast asleep, her head on Merlin's shoulder, the former staring straight ahead with his head facing the opposite direction of the doors. Then, Merlin blinked as the doors opened and Arthur's shadow fell in front of him. He shook Cade slightly as Arthur spoke. "Merlin." Said servant turned his head, his sister sitting up, yawning slightly. "It's a new day." Merlin stood, grabbing Cade's own hand to help her stand as well. The young girl leaned tiredly against her brother. "You two have been here all night?" the prince asked.

"We didn't want you to feel that you were alone." Merlin answered.

"You're loyal friends, Merlin." Arthur said as he turned and closed the doors. Once he had, he turned back towards them. Taking a deep breath, he said, "You must be hungry."

"Starving." Merlin said, smiling slightly.

"Me too." Arthur said, smiling himself. "Come on. You can make me some breakfast." As he walked by the siblings, he chuckled at the sight of the drowsy Cade and, surprising both himself and Merlin, picked the younger girl up and carried her to the stairs and up them.

* * *

Later that morning, Arthur's coronation had begun. All of the people had gathered inside the council chambers, ready to see Arthur be crowned. The prince walked in, his long Camelot cape billowing behind him. Everyone bowed as he walked by and knelt on the dais. Geoffrey walked to stand beside him, crown in hand. "Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the peoples of Camelot according to their respective laws and customs?"

"I solemnly swear so to do."

"Will you to your power, cause law and justice in mercy to be executed in all your judgements?"

"I will." Geoffrey stepped forward, his hands bringing the crown down to rest on Arthur's head.

"Then by the sacred law vested in me, I crown you Arthur, King of Camelot!"

"Long live the king!" Agravaine called out. His call was quickly followed by the rest of the people occupying the room. However, Cade noticed that her brother wasn't cheering. Soon though, Cade smiled as, when the last chant came, her brother called out, loud and clear,

"Long live the King!"

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**Read and Review if you please!**

**Next is a little several part filler i hope you guys enjoy!**


	23. Chap 23 Quest to Lift the Spirits Part 1

**Part 1 of my little filler episode has arrived. Read and then tell me how i did, if you wouldnt mind.**

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Chapter 23: Quest to Lift the Spirits Part 1

Camelot had been a mess of depression since the death of Uther. Though Arthur had taken the throne and quite easily had begun to rule, Uther's death still held the city in sadness.

The one who seemed the most distraught, though everyone, except Gaius and Cade, failed to notice, was Merlin himself. The boy still blamed himself for what had befallen the king and the disastrous result that had followed. No matter what the physician or witch said, Merlin would have none of it and, for the most part, refused to communicate with anybody, even Cade. Except for when he was attending to Arthur, Merlin stayed shut up in his and Cade's room, refusing to speak to either his uncle or his sister.

After a week of this, Cade finally snapped. "He is driving me nuts!" she exclaimed, catching Gaius, who was cutting herbs, off guard. The physician looked at Cade in surprise.

"Why do you say that, Cade?" he asked. Cade's green eyes leveled with the physician's.

"What happened to Uther wasn't Merlin's fault, yet he keeps acting like it is." she explained. "He's not acting like my goofy, idiot brother! I want him back."

"How do you propose we get him back?" Gaius asked. The seventeen-year-old lowered herself into a seat beside Gaius.

"Some time away from Camelot." she answered. "He and I will go out away from Camelot, maybe home to Ealdor for a while, I don't know. Maybe being away from here for a while will raise his spirits."

"You two can't go alone." Gaius said. Cade grinned slightly.

"Then, we'll bring Lancelot." she answered. "Poor guy hasn't been out of the city since the Dorocha attacked. I think he'd like the chance at some fresh air that isn't riddled with townsfolk." Gaius nodded.

"It does seem like the best way to cheer our boy up." he said, looking towards Merlin's door.

"I'll tell him tomorrow when we're on our way to attend to Arthur." Cade said, smiling widely.

* * *

The next morning, that's exactly what Cade did. As the siblings walked to Arthur's chambers, Cade told her brother about their quest.  
"We're going home? To Ealdor?" Merlin questioned. Cade nodded enthusiastically.

"I think Mother will be very happy to see us." Cade said. "And goodness knows, you need some time away."

"We, um,…." Merlin struggled for an excuse to stay in Camelot. "We can't leave cause you will get sick."

"Gaius is going to fix me some potions that will help me until we get to Ealdor." Cade answered. Merlin sighed.

"It's not just you and me, now is it?" he asked. Cade shook her head.

"Nah. Gaius thought we'd need protection, so I said I'd ask Lancelot to come along. The guy hasn't been out of Camelot since the Dorocha ordeal."

"That and he's our friend." Merlin said. "The only one who knows about our magic and is actually still alive."

"I'm guessing you're not including our dear mother, uncles and annoying cousin, are you big brother?"

Merlin shook his head. "Nope. Just our friends."

"That makes a whole lot of sense." Cade said. She looked ahead. "Come on. We're almost to Arthur's chambers. We need to let him know what we're planning."

Upon entering Arthur's chambers, that's exactly what the two siblings did. They explained to Arthur that they were going to visit their mother in Ealdor especially since Cade had not seen Hunith since she was eight years old. The young girl was really looking forward to seeing her mother again. Luckily for them, Arthur seemed to understand and allowed them however long they wanted to spend in Ealdor but to contact him should they need anything.

The two thanked him and, after working for him for the day, packed up their belongings that evening, so they'd be ready to depart in the morning.

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**Read and Review if you please!**

**I also noticed i tend to make a lot of spelling mistakes as i rush through lookin my chapters over, so i was wondering if anybody would like to be my beta? It would help a lot.**


	24. Chap 24 Quest to Lift the Spirits Part 2

**Yay! I have returned! After a week at camp (which I was, after the first two days, homesick) I have returned and, as promised, I have a new chapter. I actually got back around 3:30 am yesterday morning but was so tired I ended up sleeping till about 4;30 that evening. I was that tired from a 14-15 hour bus ride.**

**I actually spent pretty much the whole week suffering from altitude sickness as camp was located in the Colorado Rockies. But I'm better now. **

**Anyways, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! **

* * *

Chapter 24 Quest to Lift the Spirits Part 2

The next morning, the two siblings left Camelot as planned. Merlin still looked down and, as they rode on the horses they had taken, Cade did whatever she could to make her brother at least smile.

"Merlin, remember when Gwaine got so drunk once that he kept falling over!" she laughed. "Then we had to drag him all the way back to Camelot and Arthur nearly blew a vein with how out of it he was the next morning?" Cade paused. "Of course, he did make those romantic advances on me and Gwen, which upset both you and Arthur."

Merlin looked up at her, his eyes still showing sadness. He smiled half-heartedly. "You know perfectly well why I was upset at that."

Cade narrowed her eyes. "Yeah. The same reason you kept giving and are still giving micheal."

"I just want to protect you."

Cade rolled her eyes. "At the rate you're going, no guy will like me." She looked at the sky, which was beginning to darken. "We'd better stop for the night."

Merlin nodded. "You're right. It'd probably be best for the horses."

Cade grinned slightly. "As well as best for us."

They stopped and climbed off the horses. As they unloaded their supplies, Cade looked in the direction that they were heading. She narrowed her eyes and then they rotated upwards, the green orbs locked in thought. "a day left I think." she muttered. "then I'll be able to see mother for the first time in many years." Cade closed her eyes, sighing with thought. She couldn't wait to see Hunith after all these years.

As she laid down on her bedroll, she looked at Merlin, who had already fallen fast asleep. She grinned and shook her head. Seeing their mother may very well help Merlin get over this unnecessary sadness. At least, that's what Cade hoped at any rate. She turned away, her eyes drifting shut and her breathing evening out.

Neither sibling took any notice of the eight bodies inching ever closer to the two of them.

* * *

Cade groaned as she opened her eyes. She stretched, but stopped when her left shoulder screamed in protest. Lookin over at said shoulder, Cade discovered that the shoulder of her jacket was darker then it had been, and the dark stain was growing. She put her fingers on it and when she pulled them away, she saw that they were wet with blood. Eyes widening, she looked widely around, her eyes darting around looking for Merlin.

Her eyes finally settled on his body, which was lying about a few feet away from her. Merlin was also bloody, although in different areas then Cade, however they appeared worse then Cade's own. The boy was still unconscious and for that, Cade was pretty grateful. She couldn't imagine the pain Merlin would've been going through had he been awake. So Cade took to trying to identify where they had been taken.

As she looked around, she discovered that they were imprisoned in a prison cell. "Great." Cade muttered. "This is just great."

"Calm down little girl." an eerie voice said. Cade turned and saw a man with dark hair and eyes walk out of the shadows. "You and your brother are going to be here a while."

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**How does the return chapter look? Read and Review? Please?**


	25. Chap 25 Quest to Lift the Spirits Part 3

**Okay so here's the next chapter. As promised, I tried to get it up as quick as possible. This week is vacation bible school at my church and, as I'm helping with little pre-k kids, my updating may not be that fast.**

**You know what? Even after all this time, every time I type Cade's name on my iPhone, it tries to replace it with either cafe, case, and sometimes cage. That's nuts, and I'm getting real tired of it! It doesn't try to replace her real name, Caden, so I'm happy about that. **

**Anyways, on to the chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 25: Quest to Lift the Spirits Part 3

Cade stared in horror at the man facing her. She'd definitely seen him before. It was a man named Markus. Markus had been involved in nearly every attack Camelot had gone through since Cade had arrived. Now, here he was, facing her.

"What do you want, Markus?" she spat, glaring up at him. He chuckled eerily.

"What do you think, Caden?" he challenged. "To help the Lady Morgana in her takeover of Camelot." Morgana. Why was it that every single magical enemy worked with Morgana? Couldn't any of them actually think for themselves?

"Yeah." Cade muttered. "That's original." Her head snapped to the side a hand slapped it. The hand, however, wasn't rough like Cade had expected from Markus. No, the hands were soft. "Morgana." she said quietly, moving her head forward as her cheek throbbed. Said witch walked into the light, an sneer plastered on her face.

"Very good, Caden." Morgana said, glaring at Cade. Cade rolled her eyes.

"I'm not as inept as you seem to think, Morgana." Cade said. "Neither is Merlin."

Morgana chuckled. "Of course not, Caden. Just troublesome." Cade shrugged.

"If you say so." Morgana looked annoyedly at Cade and left follwed by Markus. Cade sighed with relief and turned her attention back to Merlin. Ignoring the throbbing in her shoulder, she made her way over to where he was laying and grabbed his wrist to feel his pulse. She was relieved when she felt it throb beneath her fingertips.

Merlin was definitely still alive, but, like her, he was hurt and weak. They both needed to get back to Camelot as soon as possible. Cade figured that Morgana would use her and her brother's absence to her advantage and would probably being attacking Camelot at any moment she could.

"Merlin!" she exclaimed, gently shaking Merlin's shoulder. The boy didn't respond. Cade tried again, shaking Merlin's shoulder. To her relief, this time, he responded, blue eyes creaking open and looking up at Cade. She sighed with relief. "Oh thank goodness." Merlin tried to sit up and, with Cade's help, managed to sit against the wall. "You idiot! Don't do that again! You really had me worried!" Cade exclaimed. Merlin looked at her, seeing her worry-filled eyes. He grinned, the goofy grin everyone had grown to love and wrapped his uninjured arm around Cade's shoulder, pulling her close.

"Sorry." he said. "I didn't mean to worry you." Cade smiled. Merlin looked around, the smile melting into a frown. "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure." Cade replied. "Markus brought us here where Morgana is." Merlin nodded then saw the red mark on Cade's cheek.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Cade put a hand to her cheek and nodded.

"I'm fine. Other then my cheek, my shoulder's hurt, but I'll live." Cade said, putting a hand to her bleeding shoulder. "You're the one I'm more concerned about."

Merlin looked his own body over, then looked up at Cade and smiled again. "Like a certain little sister of mine said, I'll live." Cade grinned. "Right now, I think we should concentrate on getting out of here. Gaius thinks we're on our way to Ealdor."

"But mother will have sent him a message to let him know when we arrived. When that happens, Gaius will suspect something is wrong and, if we're lucky, he'll let Arthur know." Cade said. Merlin nodded.

"You're right." He said. "There's no way Gaius wouldn't know something suspicious was up."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Camelot, the estimated three-day journey between Camelot and Ealdor had passed and Gaius had received no indication that Merlin and Cade had reached Ealdor. This had made the elderly physician very concerned for his nephew and niece. And, four days after he had had no message from the siblings, Gaius went to Arthur to let him know.

"That is odd, even for those two." he said. "What do you suggest, Gaius?"

"What else sire?" Gaius said. "We send out a search party for them."

Arthur nodded. "I agree. We both need those two, no matter how incompetent they are." Gaius smiled.

"Thank you sire." he said. Arthur grinned at Gaius.

"You're welcome." Arthur then turned to the guards and gave them orders to round up all the knights and send them out on search and rescue for Merlin and Cade.

* * *

Back in their cell, Cade's stomach rumbled. She looked up at Merlin, who was quietly giggling at her. She glared at him. "Don't you go laughing, wizard-boy." She said. "I've heard your stomach growl quite a bit too." That shut him up and Cade smirked. "I wonder when they'll actually think to feed us."  
"I'm wondering if this is the whole 'kidnap the servants to get to the king' deal." Merlin said. Cade chuckled.

"That's probably it." she said. The clang of their prison door opening caught their attention as Markus brought in two plates of what looked like food. He slammed it down in front of them.

"Eat." He commanded and left. Merlin and Cade looked at one another and shrugged, digging into their meager meal. At least they wouldn't starve.

"We need to figure out a way out of here, just in case." Merlin said, his mouth full of bread. Cade nodded and began looking around for anything that might help them. When she found nothing, she sighed.

This was going to be harder than they thought. They might've just had to hope Arthur and Gaius came through for them.

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**Most of this chapter was written in my dad's truck as we went to get pizza for dinner. The vast majority was typed on my iPhone.**


	26. Chap 26 Quest to Lift the Spirits Part 4

**So here's chapter 26. Morgana's going to get a little mean to the magic siblings, basically hurting them worse than they already are.**

**For those of you awaiting the next chapter of "Different Lives, Same Hearts", I promise you, I am working on the next chapter as fast as I can. Now that VBS is over, it may be easier, but also I'm both still trying to find a job as well as study for a test i have to take to get into college. So I just ask you all to be patient for a bit longer and i'll have it up as soon as possible.**

* * *

Chapter 26: Quest to Lift the Spirits Part 4

Merlin and Cade sat in their cell, cold and their injuries stinging. Cade's cheek wasn't red anymore, but a bruise had formed that was tender to the touch. Cade had since looked at Merlin's injuries closer and found that they weren't as extensive and severe as she had first assumed.

He had gashes on his cheek, arm and mid section. All were still bleeding, but luckily were not as bad as they had appeared. As long as they were careful, by the time Gaius got to them, they probably wouldn't be as infected or bad as they would've been had they been worse.

Of course, that all began to change when Morgana decided to torture them for information.

Merlin had been first, and Cade had cringed every time she heard her brother scream. When they returned him to the cell, Cade almost burst into tears at the sight of the multiple wounds marring his pale flesh. Then they dragged her out before she could help him.

Merlin experienced much in the same way Cade had when said witch was taken away from him to be tortured herself. Merlin wasn't sure why, but her injuries seemed worse than his.

Several days of this occurred and Merlin kept seeing how Cade kept coming back with worse injuries then himself. He began to grow sure that this was part of Morgana's plan. The evil witch knew that though both Merlin and Cade were close to Arthur, Merlin had been working for Arthur longer then Cade and therefore would have more information. But she was also aware that he would remain tight lipped unless they gave him his younger sister who was medically weaker then the majority of Camelot's people were and as such, was the one person aside from his mother he would do anything for.

One day, after Markus had thrown Cade back into the cell, Merlin decided he'd had enough. As Cade was lying on the cold floor, the young warlock made his way over to her and turned her to her back, careful of her many wounds. Feeling her forehead, he found his fears were confirmed: Cade had contracted a disease and was running a high fever.

They had to try and make their escape now. "Aliese." Merlin mumbled and the door to their cell opened. The guards remained unaware as the warlock and witch made their way out of the cell, the young witch being carried by the young warlock.

* * *

In Camelot, the knights had so far had no luck in locating the siblings, but, as expected, Sirs Gwaine, Leon, Elyan, and Lancelot refused to give up on them. It had turned out that upon their departure, the siblings had mistakenly left Lancelot at the castle. Though the knight was distraught at first, now he was glad he had stayed behind as he could help with the search.

Arthur was using every method to find Merlin and Cade and bring them home. He had the knights searching day and night every day and all, himself and the knights, refused to rest until the manservant and maidservant were found.

Gaius found himself losing sleep every night his nephew and niece weren't home in their beds and, though he was extremely grateful for all Arthur was doing, he couldn't help but worry continuously.

That was why, the day a breakthrough in their search came, all were more than excited. Two and a half weeks after the siblings had gone missing, a merchant from the outskirts of the kingdom came to Arthur with news that he had seen a woman with dark hair leading a troop of bandits somewhere in the forest. The bandits were apparently carrying the bodies of two dark haired people. The woman fit the description of Morgana so Arthur jumped at the chance that the two people that were being carried were Merlin and Cade. He immediately sent knights out to investigate the area.

A day later, the knights returned with news of a suspicious looking building in the area. Arthur immediately gathered his best knights (the ones closest to Merlin and Cade) and ride out.

* * *

Merlin panted for breath. Though neither he nor Cade weighed much, he had been wandering the halls of this place for hours. He jumped when he heard a noise behind him. As he turned to run, he heard a familiar voice call out, "Merlin! Caden!" It sounded like Arthur and as said blonde haired king came into view, Merlin smiled, sighing with relief as he sank to the ground.

Arthur grabbed Merlin's shoulders as Lancelot took Cade off Merlin's back. "Merlin, are you and Caden alright?" Merlin didn't respond, so Arthur checked the two out himself. However, he knew Gaius would do better and so he helped Merlin to his horse where after helping the man onto his horse, Arthur climbed up after him. Cade sat in front of Lancelot, positioned to the side and leaning against the knight. They then departed for the castle.

Upon arrival at the castle, they were greeted by Gwen who took one look at Merlin and Cade and clapped her hand to her mouth in pure shock.

"Are they alright?" she asked tentatively. In response, as Arthur helped him down, Merlin smiled his trademark goofy smile at her. She half-smiled back at him, but it vanished when her brown eyes caught the unconscious body of Cade. Both were in dire need of Gaius and the knights made sure to get the two there.

* * *

**At least one more part on this little "mini-episode" I guess you could call it and then I'm moving on to Aithusa. I think that's the one some of you are really looking forward.**

**Read and Review! Pretty Please!**


	27. Chap 27 Quest to Lift the Spirits Part 5

**Here's the final part of this little mini-episode. **

**Enjoy! And please review at the end!**

* * *

Chapter 27: Quest to Lift the Spirits Part 5

"Oh my!" Gaius exclaimed when Arthur and Lancelot had brought Merlin and Cade in his chambers. "Lay Cade down on that cot over there and Merlin you have a seat at the table." Arthur helped Merlin to the table while Lancelot carefully lay Cade down on the cot. Gaius then began checking Merlin over and bandaging his wounds.

It turned out that Merlin's total injuries consisted of at least three individual knocks to the head, two broken ribs and three fractured ones, several shallow cuts on his arms and face, several deep gashes on his arms, hands, legs and stomach and a sprained right wrist and sprained right ankle.

After finishing bandaging Merlin, Gaius moved on to his unconscious niece. Cade had not woken the entire time Gaius had been examining and caring for Merlin's wounds. When Gaius examined her, he found she was in a relatively similar condition to Merlin.

The worst of Cade's wounds ended up being the gash on her left shoulder. The gash was still bleeding, though the blood flow had slowed, and had signs of infection. Merlin had indicated to Gaius that Cade had shown signs of having contracted a disease and was running a high fever. Gaius, upon inspection, confirmed Merlin's suspicions.

"She's ill, but the only serious wound is her shoulder. I especially want to keep an eye on it." Gaius said

Merlin nodded. "At least she'll be alright, right Gaius?"

"Yes my boy. She'll be alright." Gaius assured. Merlin sighed with relief.

* * *

When Cade woke up, she had no idea where she was, however, once she smelled various potions, she assumed she was in Gaius's chambers. Looking around, she saw her brother asleep beside her bed. She then saw Gwen beside her bed, wetting a cloth and putting it on her forehead. When Gwen looked down at her and saw that Cade was awake, she smiled.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Caden." She said. Cade smiled. Gwen looked at Merlin, smiling. "He kept himself awake keeping an eye on you. Would've kept at it if Gaius and I hadn't told him he needed to rest as well and that you were fine."

Again, Cade nodded. She heard a door open and looked towards said door in time to see Gaius walk in. He smiled softly at her as he walked closer. "How do you feel Cade? Any pain?" Cade nodded and indicated her shoulder. Gaius nodded and gave her a vial that no doubt contained a nasty-tasting potion that would supposedly help her heal. Wanting to be rid of the pain, Cade took the potion, hissing softly as the taste hit her. Soon, She lay back and fell back asleep as the medicine took effect.

* * *

When she woke up next, this time, it was Merlin beside her bed. Like Gwen, when he saw her, he smiled. "About time." he said. "Gaius and Gwen said you had woken while I was asleep yesterday." _Yesterday!_ That meant Cade had been asleep longer then she had intended. She smiled slightly at Merlin, who smiled wider at her. "Gaius said the fever should be gone in a couple of days. But you won't be back to work for another couple weeks until your shoulder heals a bit more." Cade scoffed and crossed her arms.

Cade shared her brother's dislike of staying abed for longer then she felt necessary. Being constantly sick had made sure that her dislike would never go away. She looked out the window as Merlin laughed at her expression.

* * *

It took a couple of weeks for the two's minor cuts and bruises to heal and by the time they returned to work, Gaius had forbidden Cade from any heavy lifting with her left shoulder. Case was left handed so because of her shoulder, even with Gaius's forbidding, she still couldn't do much, something that annoyed the young witch more than anything.

As an indirect result, Arthur had given Merlin the majority of Cade's chores, not that the warlock minded. Another two weeks later, the wound on Cade's shoulder was nothing more than a scar that occasionally twinged, but Cade didn't mind. All that mattered was that she and Merlin were home.

Cade also learned that if you're journeying to Ealdor, triple-check to make sure the knight you had asked to come is actually with you when you leave the castle, or better yet, take at least three or four along with you to fight off any bandits you might run into that

* * *

**Sorry it's short but it's the end chapter of this minisode so there's not much to tell.**

**Next is the one alot of you have been asking for, _"Aithusa"_! I'll have it up as soon as possible!**


	28. Chapter 28 Aithusa Part 1

**Here's the chapter you've all been waiting for. The first chapter of "Aithusa"! Woo hoo!**

**Read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 28: Aithusa Part 1

It was a stormy night, when a knock on Gaius's chamber door woke both Merlin and Cade from their sleep. Merlin got up and walked over to their door, motioning for Cade to remain where she was. When he was standing right beside the door, Merlin put his eye to the keyhole where he saw Gaius talking to a dark haired bearded man.

"You have nerve coming back here." Gaius said darkly to the man, who Merlin just noticed was soaking wet, "You left me in a lot of trouble."

"Yeah, yeah sorry about that." The man replied, "What can I say? Execution, really didn't appeal to me.""Don't pretend you support Uther." The man growled, Merlin felt a rise of anger at the insult.

"Tell me why you're here." Gaius ordered.

The strange man held out something half wrapped in a cloth, Merlin couldn't tell what it was, only that it shone and was made of gold. Gaius seemed very surprised to see it. "Save your eyesight Gaius," The man heeded, "It's the Triskelion of Ashkanar."

"You're sure?" Gaius questioned

"I'm certain."

"Let me see" The physician took the item and examined it with his looking glass. "It's in the druid tongue, the runes are in threes that's rare."

Gaius noted.

"I can save you the trouble, they guide the barer to the tomb of Ashkanar." The stranger explained, "We both know the legend, what he hid there... A dragon's egg." Merlin and Cade looked at each other as the man said those words, thinking the same thing: Kilgharrah might not be alone after all!

"And, you've come to steal it." Gaius sighed.

"Well-"

"You're missing a part of it anyway." Gaius continued.

"Oh I know where it is." The man grinned, "In the vaults, below your feet."

"And you want me to help you?"

"We could bring the noble creature back to life!"

"I want no part in this!" Gaius exclaimed, loudly enough that even Cade jumped.

The two men continued quarreling for some time, something that neither Cade nor Merlin paid much attention to. After a while, the men had ceased their quarreling and the younger, dark haired man left. "You'll find me at the inn should you change your mind." He said as the door closed behind him. After he had left, Merlin and Cade exited their room to talk to Gaius.

"Who was that?" Cade asked. Gaius smiled lightly at her and waved his hand.

"Oh, it doesn't matter." he answered, earning him a glare from the siblings.

"Gaius." Merlin said, seriousness etched into his voice. Gaius sighed.

"He was a pupil of mine." Gaius said. "His name is Julius Borden."

"Why won't you help him?" Merlin asked, "This is our one chance of saving the dragons!"

"Borden is not a man to be trusted." Gaius said with finality

"You don't believe the triskelion is real?" Cade questioned, confused.

"Of that I have no doubt." Gaius rebutted

"Then what?" Cade asked.

"His motives, Cade." Gaius continued, "Even as a young man he was prone to dishonesty, who knows what path he is on now."

"You want the egg to remain lost?" Merlin said angrily.

"I don't want it in Borden's hands!" Gaius exclaimed. "The tomb of Ashkanar has remained un touched for over four hundred years!" Gaius continued, "It is my belief that it should stay that way!" The physician walked away, leaving the two siblings to brew his words.

* * *

Later that night, the two siblings snuck out of Gaius's chambers to the clearing where Cade had first met Kilgharrah. Merlin summoned him and once the warlock and witch had explained what Gaius and Borden had discussed, Kilgharrah got a look of happiness in his golden eyes that neither had ever seen before.

"I never dared dream of such a moment, Merlin." the dragon said. "Until now, I never believed that the egg would ever be found. That I would be the last of my kind."

Merlin and Cade grinned widely, inwardly cheering. "Then the legend is true?" Cade asked excitedly, grabbing Merlin's arm and shaking it roughly, earning her a smirk from her brother. Kilgharrah smiled (Was it a smile? Did dragons smile?) and nodded.

"This is a chance, in a thousand, Merlin and Cade." Kilgharrah said. "You must retrieve the egg." Merlin and Cade looked at each other nervously.

"We know." Merlin said, his teeth clenched.

"Then what is the matter?" Kilgharrah asked.

"Gaius has forbidden it." Merlin informed, crossing his arms and pacing around in front of Kilgharrah. Kilgharrah's voice rose.

"Merlin, you are a Dragonlord!" he exclaimed. "It is a gift, passed down from your father. He gave up everything in his life to save me. What do you think he would say? The egg harbors the last of my kind. I beg you, Merlin, in your father's name, promise that you will do everything in your power to rescue it."

Merlin's blue eyes locked on Kilgharrah's golden ones and he nodded slightly. "You have my promise." he said. Cade smiled and nodded to Kilgharrah. She may not have been a Dragonlord, like her brother, but she was the daughter of the previous one, even if she had never met him like Merlin had.

Together, Emrys and Catrin would do whatever it took to see that egg safely back to Kilgharrah.

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**What do you guys think? Read and Review please?**


	29. Chapter 29 Aithusa Part 2

**Here's the next chapter! In my opinion, this one's pretty long, but it's pretty good, I think.**

**Read on and enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 29: Aithusa Part 2

The next morning, Merlin and Cade walked to the inn that Borden had told Gaius he was staying at. Upon entering his room, they were jumped. Cade was knocked to the floor and a boot-covered foot was placed on her chest. Merlin was slammed against the wall as a knife was pointed at his neck. The two looked to see that the one holding them was Gaius's old pupil, Julius Borden.

"What do you want?" Sneered Borden

"We want to help you get the dragon egg." Merlin answered nervously, "We're friends of Gaius."

"Did he send you?" Borden asked

"No, but we know everything about dragons!" Merlin insisted. Cade grinned in agreement, the boot on her chest making it difficult for her to breath properly.

"Get out." The older man grumbled releasing the boy and girl.

"But-" Cade choked out.

"Get. Out"

"I can help you get the third piece of the Triskellion!" Merlin insisted desperately

"How can a boy and a girl like you two help me?" Bored questioned.

Cade grinned. "Because we're the personal servants of King Arthur." Borden looked curiously at them, to which the two responded with a wide smile.

* * *

Once they had gotten back to the castle, the two servants went directly to Arthur's chambers, where they found the king asleep. Walking to the cabinet by his bed, the two began searching for the right key to unlock the vaults. As they fingered through the keys, neither sibling noticed that Arthur was beginning to wake up. He turned on his side and opened his eyes. Seeing his manservant and maidservant by his bedside cabinet, he got a look of annoyed confusion on his face.

"What on earth are you two doing?" he asked, catching the warlock and witch's attentions.

Thinking quick, Merlin and Cade began knocking their knuckles on Arthur's cabinet. "Looking for woodworms." Merlin answered as he and Cade continuously knocked on the wood. Arthur gave them an confused look.

"Before breakfast?" he questioned.

Cade grinned as she placed her ear to the cabinet. "That is when the worms are most active." She said, glancing down at Arthur.

Arthur just continued to look at them as if they were crazy. "Get out." he said. Merlin and Cade did as they were told. However, as they walked by the end of Arthur's bed, Arthur's pile of clothes caught their eyes, because, sitting on top of it all was the key to the vaults. Casually as possible, Merlin bent down and grabbed the pile of clothes.

"These need washing." He said.

"And these." Arthur said, tossing more clothes at Merlin and Cade. They began to walk away when, "And Merlin, Caden?" The turned back to him as he turned in bed. "Before you go, leave that belt." The two siblings looked at each other with looks of annoyance as Merlin slammed the belt back down on the bed.

* * *

The next time the siblings tried to get the vault, Arthur was in the council chambers discussing some sort of battle strategy with his knights. Using magic, Merlin caused Arthur's trousers to fall to the ground. Cade turned away, not wanting to see the king in his underwear. Merlin, however, took the opportunity to try and help Arthur get his trousers back up while Merlin was actually trying to get a hold of the vault key.  
Soon, Arthur had his trousers back up and, unknown to said king, Merlin had the vault key safely hidden behind his back. As Merlin and Cade left the room, Arthur tried to make things appear as normal as they had been prior to the de-trousering

* * *

That evening, Merlin and Cade crept down in the castle to a door that led from the outside wall. They found Borden, pacing waiting for them. As he turned, he found the two siblings poking their heads out of the door. Borden grinned. "I'm beginning to like you both." he said and followed them inside.

The siblings led Borden down the stairs, stopping at the bottom. Merlin held up the key to the vaults. "This is as far as we go." Merlin said. "This key opens the last gate, but you have to get past the guards." He handed the key over.

As Borden took the key, he drew his sword saying, "That won't be a problem." And he was gone, Cade glaring at him suspiciously as he did. Though she hated even considering it, she had to admit to herself that even if this guy was looking for the last dragon egg, maybe, just maybe, Gaius had been right. What if Borden wasn't as trustworthy as he let on.

"Merlin," she said. "I'm beginning to think we were wrong to do this. What if Gaius was right about him?" Merlin glared at her in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" He asked. "Borden wants to retrieve the dragon egg for good reasons, I'm sure."

Cade just looked back where Borden had been. A little later, they heard the sounds of footsteps and found Borden coming back, the Triskellion fully formed once again. The warlock and witch led Borden out of the vaults and out the castle walls. Merlin took back the key and started to lock the door back.

"Tell me, Merlin, Cade," Borden started, sheathing his sword and turning his gaze on the siblings. "Would you say you're good liars?"

Merlin and Cade looked at each other, then back at Borden. "If we need to be." Cade answered, turning her attention back to the locking of the door. She heard Borden smirk, then felt a sharp pain to the back of her head as Borden hit both Merlin and Cade, knocking them down and reopening the door. He dropped the key on top of them.

"You're going to need to be." he said softly and with that, he was gone.

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**How was this one? Read and Review please?**


	30. Chapter 30 Aithusa Part 3

**The next chapter is finally here! So sorry it took so long. I had a difficult time finding enough peace and quiet from my crazy little brother to write this. But here it is! Hope you all enjoy. I tried to make it as long as possible.**

**Read and Review please!**

* * *

Chapter 30: Aithusa Part 3

The next morning, as the sun shone over Camelot, Merlin and Cade awoke, sore, but in one piece at least. As the two sat up, they heard a clang as the key fell from on top of Merlin onto the floor. They looked at each other and then around them, silently cursing. They stood and Merlin hastily locked the door. Then the two ran to replace the key before Arthur woke and noticed its absence.

Quickly running to the king's chambers, Merlin replaced the key and belt on Arthur's bedside cabinet. But as luck was obviously not on their side right now, as Merlin turned to leave before Arthur woke up, his hand knocked against a cup beside the belt and as he struggled to catch it, it flew over Arthur's bed and very nearly hit the floor had the siblings not used their magic to stop its descent.

Problem was, to catch it, Merlin had managed to get his body lying across Arthur's to get to the cup, a position that was not easy to get up from. Grabbing the cup, Merlin struggled to get up, Cade grabbing his free hand to help. However, once upright, before Merlin could replace the cup in its proper place, Arthur awoke. He jumped when he saw the siblings standing beside his bed.

"Merlin!" He exclaimed. "Caden! What are you doing?"

Merlin shushed him and put the cup against Arthur's headboard, his ear against the end as he began knocking on the headboard. He shook his head and moved the cup down. "I'm listening for wood worm." Merlin said. Cade fought back a chuckle at the reused excuse.

Arthur stared at Merlin. "I'm getting seriously concerned about you." Then, the warning bells began going off. As he yanked off his covers, Arthur said annoyed, "The heck is that?" He, Merlin and Cade, after the latter two had gotten the former ready, rushed to the vaults where they found a chest open and completely empty.

"Nothing damaged." Agravaine said. "Which would suggest whoever it was had a key." As he said the last, he opened the gate as Gaius entered.

"All these treasures," Arthur said, looking around the room before going back to the chest. "All they wanted was this? What was in here?"

"I believe, Sire, one-third of a Triskellion." Gaius answered. "A key which according to legend, unlocks the hidden tomb of Ashkanar."

Arthur got a look of realization on his face as he looked at Gaius. "I remember my father told me of such a tomb. It contained a dragon egg."

Gaius nodded. "It has been said."

Arthur looked at him curiously. "You don't believe it to be true?" He asked.

""It is possible, Sire. The wealth and wisdom of Ashkanar are without equal."

"Is the egg still there?" Agravaine questioned.

"I can't be certain." Gaius answered. "But to my knowledge, no one has disturbed  
the tomb in four hundred years."

"But with this Triskellion, someone could?" Arthur asked.

"Sire, the dragon egg could live for a thousand years, and today, it could still hatch and another dragon could be born into this world." Agravaine said.

"So all my father's work to rid the land of these monsters will be undone." Arthur said.

"That must be our fear." Agravaine stated.

"Then we have no choice." Arthur said as he started to walk off. "We must hunt down this intruder and destroy the egg." As he left, both Merlin and Cade shared looks of anxiety. They had given Kilgharrah their words, Merlin especially! Gaius looked at both of them annoyedly and the siblings knew that without a doubt, they were going to get some talking to when they returned to Gaius's chambers.

* * *

"How could you be so stupid!" Gaius shouted as the three returned to Gaius's chambers. Merlin closed the door as Cade eyed Gaius almost fearfully. "What were you thinking?"

"I am a dragon lord." Merlin said as Cade took a seat on Gaius's bench. "It is my sacred duty to protect the last of the dragons."

"The tomb could've remained closed for another four hundred years!" Gaius pointed out. "And the egg would've been completely safe! Now Arthur's riding out intent on destroying it!"

"We have to hope that Borden gets there first." Merlin stated.

Gaius scoffed. "Oh, you trust Borden! You really think he's going to release that dragon! I regret to think what he intends to do to the poor creature. Why couldn't you leave things alone!" Gaius walked away, leaving the siblings alone and thinking about his words.

"We really are idiots." Cade said as soon as Gaius was gone.

"We'll just have to rescue that dragon egg ourselves then." Merlin said.

* * *

**There you go: Merlin and Cade helped Borden and now Arthur knows about the dragon egg.**


	31. Chapter 31 Aithusa Part 4

**Here's the next chapter. Please enjoy!**

**Read and Review please!**

* * *

Chapter 31: Aithusa Part 4

"Hurry up, Merlin!" Arthur's shout rang out the next morning. Merlin groaned with annoyance as he carried his gear out to the horses. As soon as he came into the courtyard, Arthur and the knights began riding off, causing Merlin to start running towards his horse where the only one that had remained behind with him was his sister.

"Someone's in a rush." Cade sighed. Merlin looked at her with a look that said _"well of course he did"_. He clambered onto his horse and the two rode off.

The group treked through the wilderness, occasionally riding past areas where Arthur determined Borden had been. Finally, they spotted horse's hoof prints in the ground and Merlin, looking ahead, spotted smoke, which no doubt had come from an area in which Borden had made camp. They rode into the forest and soon arrived at the source of the smoke, only to find a smoldering fire pit and no Borden in sight. Arthur and Elyan dismounted, making their way over to the fire pit, where Arthur ran his hand over the coals.

"It's still warm." he said. Elyan looked around.

"He can't be more than a few hours ahead of us." The dark skinned knight said. Arthur stood up and started walking towards his horse.

"We need to keep moving." He said.

They continued riding, the magical siblings keeping their eyes open for the thief they sought for. Soon, they came to a spot where the fallen leaves had been pressed down, the spot being in the shape of a human, no doubt a spot where Borden had stayed. Arthur dismounted and ran closer to get a better look.

"Deer tracks." he said.

"Then we've lost him?" Leon questioned. Arthur looked towards the setting sun.

"It's getting too dark to see." he answered. He stood and began walking back to the knights and the siblings. "We'll find somewhere to hole up for the night.

"We're so close to him though." Cade said, hoping along with her brother that they'd be able to catch Borden in time.

"Unless either of you can see in the dark, Caden, there's not much else we can do." Arthur replied.

After Merlin and Cade fixed dinner later that evening, they began serving it to the knights. Leon tapped Cade's arm and when she turned to face him, he said. "Hey, I'm famished." Cade then sighed, dipped the ladle back into the stew she and Merlin had made and put more stew into Leon's bowl. As the two began to walk off, the rest of the knights followed what Leon had done and Merlin and Cade filled every knight's bowl until there was hardly enough left for themselves.

As they sat the pot down, Arthur caught their attention. "There's a point, you two. Have you fed them?" Said siblings looked at the king exasperatedly.

"What?" Merlin asked.

"The horses." Arthur explained.

"Well, I, uh…" Merlin stuttered.

"Come on they must be starving." Arthur said. Merlin and Cade shared a look before turning back to Arthur.

"But-" Cade started, but Arthur interrupted her.

"On your toes." he said, turning back to his bowl. Merlin and Cade sighed and did as Arthur commanded of them, giving the horses the rest of the stew which, of course, left none for them, much to their displeasure. As they did, they paused, sensing something was around them, although what it was, neither sibling was sure. When they returned to the campsite, they found that Arthur and the knights had finished their stew. Gwaine handed Merlin his bowl.

"That was lovely, Merlin, thanks." Merlin looked up at him.

"I loved it." Percival said, handing Cade his bowl.

"Me too." Leon said, also handing Cade his bowl.

Arthur walked up to them, handing Merlin his bowl. "You'll need to wash those." He bent down and picked up the pot, setting it down in Merlin's hands. "And this too." As Merlin and Cade began to walk off, Arthur stopped them. "Hold on there's a little bit left." He dug the ladle in, lifted it and waved it tauntingly in front of Cade and Merlin, and then brought it to his lips, taking a long slurp of it. He nodded, a look of satisfaction on his face.

"Good was it?" Merlin asked forcing up a grin. Arthur nodded again.

"A little salty though." Arthur said. He clapped Merlin on the shoulder and walked away, leaving the two siblings frowning with displeasure. They walked off, trying to ignore the fact that they had basically just had their dinners stolen from them. As they washed the dishes, Cade expressed just how ticked off she was.

"Those idiots." She said. "They stole dinner right from in front of us!" She exclaimed softly, trying to ignore the gnawing hunger pains that were currently plaguing her stomach.

"There's not really much we could have done." Merlin answered. "They're knights and we're servants. We have to do what they say first before anything else. Especially when it's Arthur doing the commanding."

"That doesn't really excuse them for being so cruel to us."

"I was actually a little surprised at Gwaine." Merlin said. "He once told me that the way they're acting now is exactly the thing he hated about nobles. And now-"

"Now he's acting like a big prat?" Cade finished questioningly. Merlin nodded slowly. The two sighed and continued scrubbing the dishes clean.

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**So, the knights are acting like big jerks to the poor servants. Even Gwaine!**

**Read and Review, please! It gives my mind power!**


	32. Chapter 32 Aithusa Part 5

**I am so so sorry! I have been gone for so long! Believe me, I didnt mean to do this. I started my college classes not too long ago so I've been concentrating on that. Hopefully, this chapter is pretty long and I hope you amazing readers will forgive me! I will honestly try not to put such a delay in between each chapter.**

**Read and Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 32: Aithusa Part 5

That night, as the knights lay asleep, a voice woke Merlin and Cade. _"Emrys. Catrin."_ Glancing around, the two saw that wherever the voice had come from, it had not awoken the knights. The siblings stood as the call sounded again. They began walking into the forest, the calls repeatedly throwing themselves at the minds of the young warlock and young witch.

"Where are you?" Merlin asked as both of them looked around. Walking further through the trees following the mental calls, Merlin and Cade soon found the source of the calls: A group of Druids standing in the forest, their hoods pulled securely over their heads. One Druid pulled down their hood, revealing a silver haired man, who was no doubt the leader.

"Don't be afraid." he said, his eyes locked on the siblings. "We know your quest."

"How?" Cade asked, crossing her arms and locking her own eyes on the Druid leader.

"The man you seek had also stolen from us." The Druid answered. "He passed through these woods not three hours before you."

"Which way did he go?" Merlin asked urgently.

"To the east." came the answer. "But you must be wary, Emrys and Catrin. The legends tell a tale only the Druids know."

"What do they say?"

"Ashkanar was a wise man." the Druid began. "He knew one day, men would come seeking to disturb his rest. The Triskellion is not just a key. It is also a trap."

"What kind of trap?"

"I do not know. But the legends are clear: You must be wary, Emrys and Catrin." Merlin and Cade looked around once more then began walking away, when the Druid leader stopped them once again. "Emrys, Catrin, there is one more thing the legends say: Only when the way ahead seems impossible, will you have found it." The siblings nodded and walked away.

* * *

The next morning, the group was off. Lancelot and Micheal walked up to the siblings. "We heard you two get up last night." Lancelot said.

"Anything wrong?" Micheal asked.

Merlin ad Cade glanced at each other then looked back at the two knights. "The Druids called us last night." Merlin replied. "Last night, Borden had been just three hours before us."

"They also warned us to be wary once we reached Ashkanar." Cade added. The two knights said nothing as the group continued climbing through the leaves, twigs and brush that littered the forest floor. They found a spot that looked like Borden had been there.

"He must've left in the night." Arthur said.

"There's no horse tracks." Gwaine informed.

Merlin and Cade looked at each other. "We had him!" Merlin exclaimed as he and Cade began walking away. "We were so close."

"Where are you two going?" Arthur asked. "You don't even know where he went."

"He's heading east." Cade said, pointing behind herself and her brother.

"How do you know that?" Arthur asked.

"Because," Merlin began. "We can sense it."

"**_Sense_** is not a word I associate with either of you, Merlin." Arthur said, rolling his eyes.

"Hang on." Elyan spoke up from his spot by some horse droppings. He pointed to his right. "They're right."

"They can't be." Arthur said, starting to walk over to the dark-skinned knight.

"Well done, you two." Leon said, smiling widely. The siblings just grinned lightly. Arthur and Elyan stood and the group began walking again.

"You ever heard of the word **_"Sorry"_**?" Merlin asked.

"No. Is that another word you made up?" Arthur questioned.

The group continued their trek until they came to a rock-filled stream with a cave at the end.

"It's a dead end." Arthur said, turning. "I say we go back."

"What about the cave?" Cade asked as she and Merlin kept blue and green eyed gazes locked on said cave.

"We're wasting our time." Arthur answered, beginning to walk away again.

"Arthur." Percival said, gaining the attention of the knights, the two servants and said king. He pointed downwards where, imprinted in the mud, was a boot print, no doubt belonging to Julius Borden. Arthur looked back up at the cave and began walking towards it, his knights and two servants following close behind. As they entered the cave, the king and the knights drew their swords, preparing for anything that might have been lurking inside of the darkness. They treaded very carefully across the moss-covered rocks.

Arthur, his light blue eyes locked ahead of him, groaned softly. "Merlin, Caden, this is ridiculous. Where's he heading?"

The two servants quickened their paces so that they were walking right beside their king. "There's light ahead." Merlin said.

"It's got to be at the end of the tunnel." Cade added, her gaze, like her brother's and the king's, locked directly ahead of them. They soon came to a waterfall. Arthur held out his hand and stepped through the falls, getting drenched immediately, and found himself in another forest. He was soon followed by the knights and the two magic siblings.

Continuing onwards, they found a hill which led to a wide grassy clearing more than big enough for Kilgharrah to land in. "No wonder no one's ever found it." Lancelot said. They walked into the clearing and down a hill. As they looked, they found the tall building that was no doubt the tomb of Ashkanar come into their line of sight.

"There it is." Micheal muttered. Merlin and Cade said nothing, but began walking towards the tomb. They were nearly there now. Soon, the last dragon egg would be safe. The warlock and witch just had to get to it before Arthur and the knights did.

* * *

**YAY! They reached Ashkanar! I'm already working on the next chapter, so hopefully it wont be too long.**

**Read and Review please! **


	33. Chapter 33 Aithusa Part 6

**Here's chapter 33 to make up for my long absence. I hope it's long enough!**

**Read and Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 33: Aithusa Part 6

As the group made their descent, they once again entered the forest. They were startled when Percival suddenly cried out in pain. Turning, the rest of the group found Percival lying on the ground, his face scrunched up slightly in pain, his hands on his leg where an arrow had embedded itself.

"Take cover!" Arthur shouted and his order was immediately obeyed. Arthur and his knights had taken cover on the right side of the crevice, while Merlin and Cade had taken cover on the left. Cade inched closer to her brother.

"There's no doubt who shot that arrow." Cade informed.

Merlin nodded in agreement at his little sister. "Borden." he whispered. He gasped softly when he saw Cade's eyes flickering from their natural bright green to burning gold and back again repeatedly as Cade's magic began to slip from her control. Tree branches snapped as rocks, twigs, leaves, and dirt began to fly everywhere. Merlin grabbed Cade's wrist, his own magic surging to quell the power of Cade's. "Cade!" he exclaimed where only she could hear him. "Calm down! Concentrate on catching up with Borden and rescuing the egg!"

Cade meanwhile, was scared. Her magic was starting to rage out of control and she didn't know how to stop it. She felt Merlin grab her wrist and gasped when she felt her brother's strong, tame magic surge into her, attempting to calm it's master's sister's powerful, uncontrollable magic. Cade heard Merlin shout where only she could hear him about calming down and concentrating on catching up with Borden and rescuing the egg. She took a deep breath and used every inch of control she had gained since arriving in Camelot to at last calm her wild magical energy.

As it calmed, Cade panted for breath, taking care not to bring attention to herself. Arthur and all the knights, except Lancelot and Micheal, were looking around in confusion. Lancelot and Micheal were looking at the siblings at the siblings, eyebrows raised curiously. Merlin shook his head and mouthed 'Later'. Merlin resumed looking around for Borden, finally spotting him above the crevice. He had a crossbow in hand and Merlin could see that Borden had armed it with another arrow.  
He looked at Arthur. "Arthur!" he hissed. The blonde looked at him. Merlin nodded his head in Borden's direction. Arthur nodded and suddenly dashed out, drawing Borden's fire. Just before the arrow was fired, Merlin's eyes flashed gold, causing the crossbow to fly from Borden's grip and straight into a tree. Borden jumped up and ran away. A minute or two after Borden had fled, Arthur appeared, sword drawn, where the man had been before.

Arthur looked down at the knights and his servants. "What's happened?" he yelled. "Where's he gone?" Merlin, Cade and the five uninjured knights stepped away from the wall of the crevice. Leon and Lancelot helped Percival up and the six knights and two servants climbed up to join their king.

While Leon and Lancelot helped the injured Percival to walk, the three remaining knights and the two servants and the king ran ahead. Arthur and Merlin the furthest. Cade kept close to Micheal, one hand clutching her chest. Micheal watched her concernedly.

"Are you alright, Cade?" he asked, putting an arm around her shoulders. Cade looked at him, and forced a smile, nodding slowly.

"I'm fine." she lied. "Just a little tired." Micheal raised an eyebrow.

Meanwhile, up ahead, Arthur had run even further then Merlin. He stopped behind a tree as Merlin continued to run, going past the king. "Careful!" The king exclaimed, reaching out from behind the tree to stop the manservant just as said young man skidded across the forest floor just before he had ran into a trap. Arthur ran forward and grabbed the back of Merlin's jacket, grabbing his shirt and neckerchief as well and pulled him back and behind the tree right next to the trap. "He set a trap." Arthur said plainly.

Merlin rolled his eyes. "We can go around that!" he exclaimed, gesturing to said trap, and he began to walk around Arthur. The king grabbed his friend again and pulled him back.

"No." he commanded. "We'll make camp and continue at first light." As the king left, Merlin groaned softly with annoyance, rolling his eyes.

* * *

That evening, after the group had made camp, Merlin and Cade made stew for dinner again. As they turned to gather the bowls and silverware, neither sibling saw Borden knelt down on the cliff overlooking the group. Slingshot in hand, he armed it with a small sack and fired it at Merlin and Cade's stew. It landed in the stew, immediately being covered, and Borden smiled and fled.

The warlock and witch turned back to their stew and, looking at the knights, then each other, they attempted to spoon some stew for themselves before it was stolen from them again. Just as Merlin was about to take a bite of their stew, the bowl was snatched from his hands by none other than Arthur Pendragon. He took a bite and moaned with pleasure at what was no doubt delicious.

"Guys," he said, turning towards the knights. "You have to try this." And with that, the knights rushed forward and filled their bowls. Gwaine took a bite of the stew, bringing it close to the siblings, mocking them. Not knowing what else to do, the siblings just half grinned. They stood and walked away from the camp, opting to gather more wood as the knights, once again, took every last bite of their stew.

"No dinner for us once again." Cade groaned, rubbing her stomach with one hand as it growled loudly. Merlin smiled lightly and wrapped his arm around his sister's shoulders, hugging her as tightly as he could

* * *

When they returned later, they found the king and all of the knights fast asleep against the trees. Merlin chuckled. "Alright." he said. "Don't tell me: It was too salty." Neither the knights nor Arthur answered him. The siblings walked over to where the new empty pot was, intending to clean up the dishes.

"Just leave us with the washing up." Cade muttered, rolling her eyes.

Merlin turned the ladle in the stew pot, when his eyes widened. "Cade, look at this!" he exclaimed. Cade crawled over to her brother and saw that there was a small sack in the ladle.

"What is it?" she asked. Merlin brought it close to his nose and smelled it.

"Poison." he finally said.

"Poison?" Cade questioned. "How did poison get in our stew?" They looked at the knights and Arthur again and now saw that all seven seemed to be having trouble breathing. They looked at each other.

"There's only one way poison could have gotten in our stew." Merlin said.

"Borden." the two siblings said together.

* * *

**And there we go. I really hope this makes up for my long absence! I was working on it all throughout the free time i had at college today.**

**Read and Review please! **


	34. Chapter 34 Aithusa Part 7

**Man, it's been thundering and raining ever since i got home from my college class. The loud claps of thunder are freaking me out, and by freaking me out, i really mean terrifying me!**

**Anyways, please read and review at the end please!**

* * *

Chapter 34: Aithusa Part 7

Merlin and Cade ran to the knights. Merlin knelt beside Arthur and Cade knelt beside Micheal. They were all struggling to breathe, each breath they managed to take in hoarse and wheezy. Merlin placed a hand on Arthur's chest. "**Ic pe purhhaele pin ticsare**!" he hissed, his eyes flashing molten gold. Immediately, Arthur's breathing became easier, the hoarseness and wheezing gone as the King began to take in many breaths. Merlin nodded to Cade, who chanted the same spell over Micheal. The two continued chanting the spell, moving from wheezing knight to wheezing knight, until they were finally done.

"We have to go after Borden!" Cade exclaimed. "We can't delay anymore! We're way too close to Ashkanar! Borden is probably already there!" Cade's eyes flashed gold and a large branch from a nearby tree snapped and went crashing into another tree.

"Calm down, Cade." Merlin soothed, putting a long-fingered hand on Cade's shoulder, brushing back her unruly jet black bangs out of her eyes. "We'll find him. I know it."

Cade nodded, her eyes fading back to their natural neon green color. With that, the two siblings began to run, hoping to reach the tomb in time to stop Borden. When they made it to Ashkanar, they found Borden already scaling the building and the two siblings quickly followed. When they entered Ashkanar, Borden was still quite far ahead of them. He put the Triskellion in a spot on the door and turned it. The door swung open, but before he could enter, gas poured out, enveloping him.  
Merlin and Cade covered their noses and mouths with their jackets and Merlin held out a hand, shouting, "**Prosm toh weorfe!**" With that spell, the gas dissipated. When it was completely gone, Merlin and Cade uncovered their faces and walked forward. They walked to the door and found Borden, unconscious on the floor from the gas. Deciding to continue forward, Merlin and Cade entered a vast chamber.

On a pedestal in the center of the chamber, there was a large bright blue egg. Cade's jaw dropped. "It's so beautiful!" she exclaimed softly. Merlin nodded and the two walked forward, closer to the egg. They stood in front of it, but as they reached it, their hands extended to grab it, they heard a familiar voice behind them.  
"Give it to me." Looking behind them, the siblings saw Borden was walking towards them.

"It's not yours to take." Merlin growled.

"You give it to me," Borden continued. "And I will grant you both fair shares, Merlin."  
"No." Merlin said, making eye contact with the thief. "It must go free."

"Don't be a fool." Borden commanded. "Think of the power it'll bring us! The lands we could rule over! The riches-"

"We're not interested in that!" Cade yelled, clenching her fists tightly.

"With the dragon at our command, we will live like kings! We will have the power and freedom to do what we wish!"

"DRAGONS CANNOT BE USED LIKE THAT!" Merlin roared. "It must be left unshackled, free to roam the earth."

"But this is your chance. Your chance to escape your meaningless life. Your worthless existence!"

"It's not our lives we pity upon." Cade said quietly, glaring at Borden. "It's yours."

"Wasting it." Merlin continued. "For nothing."

Borden glared angrily at them, then stepped forward, grabbing the torch Merlin and Cade had abandoned moments ago. He held it out at the warlock and witch. "I pieced together the Triskellion. I found the path that led us here. The dragon belongs to me! Now hand it over!" He held out a hand.  
Merlin and Cade shook their heads. "No."

Borden's face turned red with rage. He began swinging the torch widely at the two. "You are not going to stop me!"

Dragons are creatures of magic, there to travel the world!" Merlin shouted as he and Cade dodged the out the torch's way. Cade fell backwards, a little ways away from Borden. Merlin fell straight back, but, as he continued looking up at Borden, he shouted, "They're for the benefit of all!"

"What do you know?!" Borden shoved the torch in Merlin's face. "You are but a serving boy."

Merlin's expression turned threatening. "I am the last Dragonlord. And I am warning you: Leave. This. Egg. Alone." Borden looked at the egg, then took one last swipe at the siblings. Merlin threw his hand out, causing Borden to fly backwards.

Jumping up, Merlin and Cade took the egg from its pedestal. As soon as they had done so, whatever trap had been set activated and the tomb began to collapse. Dodging the falling pieces of the ceiling, Merlin and Cade ran straight of the tomb and deep into the forest. They watched as the entire Tomb of Ashkanar crumbled away. Merlin hurriedly put the egg in his bag just as Arthur and the rest of the knights turned up. "What happened?!" Arthur exclaimed.

"The tomb was a trap." Merlin explained. "He set it off. He never got out."

"What about the egg?" Arthur inquired.

"Would of perished with him." Cade answered.

"Are you sure?" Arthur asked, glaring at his two servants. "We need to be certain."

Merlin stood as Leon stared ahead and said, "Nothing's going to survive that."

* * *

Back at Gaius's chambers in Camelot, after the group had returned home, Gaius, Merlin and Cade were eating dinner, though Merlin and Cade just seemed to be playing with it. After finally finishing, Merlin gathered up the dishes and cleaned the table, both himself and Cade taking care not to make eye contact with their uncle.

"Heard about the egg." Gaius said quietly.

"Yes…" Merlin said, still not making eye contact.

"You weren't able to save it?" Gaius asked.

Merlin and Cade shook their heads. "No…" Cade said sadly. As the two continued to play with the crumbs on the table, they kept glancing up at Gaius. Gaius raised an eyebrow, cocking his head to the side in skepticism. He made eye contact with his niece and nephew, causing both of their faces to break out in a smile. They smirked and Merlin jumped up from the table, walking over to where his bag was sitting just outside of his and Cade's room.

"All the jewels. All the treasures, Gaius, they don't compare." Merlin said, taking the egg out of his bag. He held it up and brought it back to the table, handing it to Gaius as he sat back down again.

"And it was nearly lost because of the two of you." Gaius said, holding the egg in his hands.

"We're sorry, Gaius." Merlin said. "We were too quick to act."

Cade nodded in agreement. "We were just so relieved that Kilgharrah wasn't actually the last of his kind."

"You have to think things through." Gaius informed. "Ashkanar did exactly that. He had the foresight to conceal this for four hundred years. And now it's down to you two, Merlin and Cade." Gaius handed the egg back to Merlin. "For you to decide what you intend to do with it."

"I've thought about that." Merlin said. Cade smiled widely. "I'm going to make sure it goes back to where it belongs."

Later that evening, Merlin and Cade took the egg to the clearing where to meet with Kilgharrah. Merlin set the egg on a tree stump between them and where Kilgharrah would land, and then backed away as the large golden dragon landed.

Is it still alive?" Cade asked, worry laced in her voice.

"It can live for more than a thousand years." Kilgharrah explained.

Merlin smirked, smiling widely. "So you are no longer the last of your kind."

Kilgharrah chuckled. "It would seem not."

"When will it hatch?"

"Young dragons were called into the world by the Dragonlords. Only they had the power to summon them from the egg. As the last Dragonlord, this solemn duty falls to you, Merlin."

"How do I summon it?" Merlin asked.

"You must give the dragon a name." Kilgharrah replied simply. Merlin nodded and closed his eyes, searching for the right name for the unhatched dragon.

"Aithusa." His voice rasped deeply. Cade turned to the egg, jaw dropping as a crack appeared at the top. The dragon peeked its head out of the shell, growling softly.

"A white dragon," Kilgharrah said, honestly sounding surprised for once. "Is indeed a rare thing. And fitting. For in the Dragon tongue, you named him after the light of the sun. No dragon birth is without meaning. Sometimes, the meaning is hard to see, but this one I believe it is clear: A white dragon bodes well for Albion." Merlin laughed, tears going down his cheeks. Cade wrapped her arms around her brother's, her head laying against his arm as tears went streaming down her own tears. Merlin ran a hand across his face, smiling widely up at Kilgharrah as the old dragon continued speaking, "For you both. And Arthur. And for the land that you will build together."

The siblings looked at Aithusa, the young white dragon having finally broken free of his shell. He stood on his hind legs and spread his paper-thin wings out proudly, looking at Merlin and Cade.

* * *

**Yay! Aithusa is finally here! I always thought Aithusa was so adorable. But i didnt understand why he healed Morgana at the end of the forth season. It just didnt make sense. My brother and myself were very ticked at Aithusa for doing that because Morgana is freakin' evil!**

**Read and Review please! **


	35. Chp 35 Training Aithusa & Gaining Contol

**Here's a filler chapter for after Aithusa. Next is "A Servant of Two Masters" which i'll post the first part as soon as i can as i already have part 1 typed up (I really wanted to get started on it so while i was watching Merlin, I started typing it up)**

**Anyways, please read and review at the end please!**

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Chapter 35: Training Aithusa, Gaining Control

"Aithusa! Come back here!" Cade exclaimed. It was just a few days after Aithusa's hatching from his egg and Merlin and Cade were attempting to teach the young white dragon how to behave. So far, Aithusa wasn't listening to either of them. Aithusa was flying around, evading the two siblings trying to catch him, and when they stopped chasing Aithusa and began panting for breath, Cade cpuld swear Aithusa was laughing at them.

Merlin glared at Aithusa. "Aithusa, just because you're still a hatchling does not mean you can ignore us."

"Actually, young warlock," Kilgharrah, who was watching with a dragonese smile across his face, said. "Aithusa is really only required to listen to you. The young witch is not a Dragonlord and therefore, Aithusa is not required to listen to her."

"But Cade is my sister." Merlin argued. "Surely that gives her something!"

"Aithusa will play with Cade but only Aithusa can choose whether or not she listens to her. As you are our Dragonlord, she only has to listen to you."

"Yes. You've said that several times already and it's still as annoying as ever." Merlin said, crossing his arms.

Cade smirked lightly. "Just be thankful it's not one of his cryptic messages and that for once he's actually telling it like it is instead of making us figure it out."

Merlin glared at his sister, who shrugged innocently. "Maybe we should work on your magic control." He said. "Since Aithusa isn't listening to either of us and Arthur has given us the day off, you might as well learn to control your magic better. You almost gave yourself away a few days ago."

"I was angry!" Cade exclaimed. "Borden had tricked us and was going to try and get Aithusa's egg so that he could sell it on the black market! Of course I lost control!"

"You still need to learn better control." Merlin said. "Why else would Uncle Andret have sent you here?"

"Maybe because I didn't fit in anymore in Everwick and Ealdor wasn't an option since Mother had sent you here because the people were beginning to figure things out." Cade grumbled. Merlin chuckled and walked over to Cade, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Come on." He said, beginning to pull her further into the clearing. "Let's work on your control, after we're done we can attempt to get Aithusa to listen to us."

"He's a baby." Cade said, glaring at Merlin. "It'll definitely be a while before he actually listens to us."

"Or at least you." Merlin pointed out and the siblings burst out laughing. They walked into the middle of the clearing and Merlin centered Cade, walking a bit away from her. "Okay, what we're going to do first is teach you how to block spells." He said. "Blocking spells takes careful concentration so that you can effectively block any harmful spells that come your way." He held out his hand. "**Forbaerne**." Immediately a small ball of fire formed in the palm of Merlin's hand. After a few minutes, he closed his hand, the ball of fire disappearing as he did so. He looked at Cade. "You try now." He commanded. "But concentrate on keeping it in one small ball. If you feed it too much energy it will spiral out of control and then we'll have an enormous forest fire on our hands."

Cade nodded and held out her hand exactly the way Merlin had done. Closing her eyes tightly, Cade said the spell softly. "**Forbaerne**." She sensed something appear in her outstretched palm, but refused to open her eyes for fear of losing control.

"Cade," Merlin's voice said softly. "Open your eyes, slowly though. I promise, if things look like they'll go wrong, I'll be right here."

Cade heard footsteps in the dew covered grass and felt Merlin's boney hand gently grab her shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. His other hand gently grabbed and squeezed her free hand. Taking a deep breath, Cade slowly opened her eyes, gasping softly with shock as she saw a ball of fire shining brightly above her hand. Oddly enough, the fire ball wasn't the normal color of fire that Cade had always been used to. It was an ocean blue coloring, Cade's very favorite color.

"Why is it blue, Merlin?" Cade quietly asked her brother.

Merlin shrugged slightly. "I'm not sure, Cade."

"The fire is blue because blue is the color that calms young Caden as she was uneasy about conjuring the flame." Kilgharrah suddenly said loudly, startling the two siblings and causing Cade's control to waver slightly. They glared at the golden dragon, who chuckled. "As Caden's favorite color is blue," _'Great. The bloody dragon read my mind.'_ Cade thought bitterly. The dragon gave no indication that he had heard Cade's bitter thought and continued what he was saying. "Blue is a very calming color to the young witch. Her magic, though it is hard for Caden to control, reflected the color that calmed Caden the most." Kilgharrah stared his large golden eyes into Cade's sapphire ones. "I believe, young witch that your magic desperately wishes for you to gain control over it."

Cade pondered the dragon's words, looking back at her blue ball of fire. Slowly closing her hand and making the ball disappear, Cade smiled. "Thanks, Kilgharrah." She said. The enormous dragon bowed his head. As Cade turned to smile at Merlin, she was suddenly tackled from behind. Looking over her shoulder from where she was lying on the ground, Cade found herself eye to eye with the blue eyes of Aithusa. The newborn had a dragonese look of mischief on his face, making a series of small dragon noises, and Cade could've sworn, Aithusa was laughing at her. Cade reached over her shoulder and rubbed Aithusa's head right between her ears.

* * *

**Well, what'd you guys think? This one was only partially complicated for me to write. But i had fun with the bit with aithusa not listening to either Merlin nor Cade. And i just thought the bit with Merlin teaching Cade how to control her magic would be good to put in there. Cade has to learn how to control her magic sometime. Cade's favorite color is blue because my favorite color is blue. At least my main one is. My other two favorite colors are red and black.**

**Read and Review please! **


	36. Chapter 36 Servant of Two Masters Part 1

**Sorry if this took a while. My mom took my computer and the only place i could access this was at my college class**

**Read and Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 36: A Servant of Two Masters Part 1:

Arthur led three of his knights through the forest. Merlin and Cade followed as fast as their own horses would allow. The two servants pushed their horses faster, managing to catch up with Arthur.

"Arthur," Merlin said. "You are not serious."

"What else did you have in mind?" Arthur questioned.

Cade rolled her eyes. "Anything. Nothing good ever happens in the Valley of the Fallen Kings." She gestured around them. "No one in their right mind would go in there."

"Exactly." Percival said, earning curious glances from the siblings.

"I'll let you in on a secret, you two, that's why we chose it." Arthur explained.

As they rode, however, the screams of their enemies were heard and soon said enemies came running over the hill.

"Guess it's not a secret after all!" Merlin yelled as Arthur threw his cape to the ground and drew his sword.

"No need to get cocky!" he exclaimed and the battle commenced.

The knights fought with everything they had, cutting down any enemy that came close to them. Arthur fought hard, and one of the bandits finally managed to pull the king off of his horse, ready to fight him on the ground. To his misfortune, Arthur instead cut him down before he could make any sort of move.  
Merlin and Cade looked up to see another horseman coming towards Arthur, sword drawn and poised to kill.

"Arthur!" Merlin shouted and jumped off his horse, Cade following suit. Merlin threw out his hand, his eyes flashing gold, knocking the bandit off his horse and earning him a trip of being dragged across the ground by his own horse. Suddenly, the two siblings heard a whooshing sound coming from behind them. Turning, they saw a bandit swinging his sword overhead coming right at them. Merlin pushed Cade out of the way, but was sliced in the shoulder before he could get out of the way.

"Merlin!" Cade yelled, her eyes flashing an even brighter gold than what was normal. The bandit responsible for injuring Merlin was knocked off his horse and landed on the ground. Cade's magic, running out of control, caused the bandit's sword to lift into the air and come stabbing down on said bandit. Cade got to her feet, having fallen when Merlin had pushed her, and ran to her brother's side. His eyes were closed, but when Cade checked his pulse, she found it there strong. Merlin was alright. Badly wounded, but Cade figured once they got him to Gaius, he'd be good as new.

Cade hissed as a sudden pain shot through her arm. Looking down, she found the sleeve of her left arm darkening as blood soaked it. A tear in the fabric was visible along Cade's left forearm.

Arthur cut down the last bandit and turned towards his servants, finding Merlin unconscious on the ground and Cade sitting beside him, the left sleeve of her jacket slowly darkening. He ran over to the siblings and, kneeling on the ground and turning Merlin over, looked at Cade. "What happened?" he asked.

"One of the bandits came, swinging his sword." Cade began. "Merlin pushed me out of the way, but was cut down before he could get out of the way himself." Arthur nodded and sighed. He stood, helping Cade stand, and grabbed one of Merlin's arms, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Come on." he commanded and began running into the forest. Cade nodded and followed. Once they had slowed a bit, Cade noticed that Merlin had begun to come to.

"Merlin?" she questioned. Merlin looked up at her and attempted to reassure her once he saw the worried look in Cade's eyes.

"I'm alright, Cade." he said. Cade shook her head.

"No, you're not." she said. "You have a long deep gash in your left shoulder. We have to get out of here and back to Camelot."

They wandered for hours, finally stopping by a tree when night had fallen. Arthur laid Merlin down as gently as he could as Cade sat down next to her brother. Bandits were still searching the forest. Suddenly, Merlin smirked.

"They need to work out their anger." he said. Cade rolled her eyes.

"They just did." Arthur said. "On you." Merlin chuckled painfully. "A night's rest and you'll be polishing my armor. It could definitely due with a scrub." Cade looked on as Arthur checked Merlin's wound. His face turned grave, but he shook it off, replacing Merlin's jacket and shirt over his shoulder. "Seen worse. Definitely seen worse."

"I'm a dead man." Merlin said, smiling. Cade gaped at Merlin.

"You're not going to die, Merlin." Arthur said firmly. "Don't be such a coward."

"If I do die will you call me a hero?" Merlin asked clutching his injured shoulder.

"Maybe." Arthur replied.

"But while I'm still alive, I'm a coward?" Merlin questioned, no longer smiling.

"That's the way these things work, I'm afraid. You get the glory when you're not around to appreciate it." Arthur replied.

"Unless you're the king."

Arthur was trying not to smile. "Come on, it's got to have some advantages."

Merlin nodded, Cade smirking. "Still, you have a very good servant." Arthur's smile faded into seriousness.

"You're right. I do. Two in fact." As he said the last part, he looked pointedly at Cade, earning a smile in return from the young girl. "Two servants who are extremely brave, and incredibly loyal to be honest, not at all cowardly." Merlin's smile returned, as did Arthur's.

"Thanks for saving my life."

"Well I know you'd do the same for me." Merlin and Cade shared knowing glances and smirked.

* * *

**How was this? Ive actually had it typed for a while which is one reason i tried to finish Aithusa as quickly as possible. This episode is one of my very favorites.**

**Read and Review please! **


	37. Chapter 37 Servant of Two Masters Part 2

**Sorry this took a while i finally got a job and have been super busy with the required training for it. Its a photography job! Hopfully this is a pretty long chapter.**

**Read and Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 37: A Servant of Two Masters

The next morning, the crack of branches awoke Arthur. Merlin was already awake, the sound having awoken him too. Cade was also awake, her uninjured arm wrapped around her brother's uninjured side, her peridot eyes darting around. Arthur stood up carefully and crept towards the group of tree roots which had hidden the trio. He looked over the roots and his eyes widened as he saw bandits creeping around.

He jumped back over to Merlin and Cade. Merlin looked up at the king. "What is it?" he asked.

"Bandits." Arthur replied quietly. "They're getting closer. We have to move. NOW!" He bent down and threw Merlin over his shoulder, giving Cade a hand up. "Come on." And they ran for it, or as best as they could with Arthur carrying Merlin over his shoulder and Cade with her wounded arm.

Eventually they came across an area surrounded on all sides by rocks. It seemed like the bandits hadn't spotted them and Arthur sighed with relief. That is until Cade yelled, "Look out!" and she pointed back the way they had come. Bandits were spilling through and before Arthur and Cade could start running again, they were surrounded. Arthur set Merlin down against a rock and drew his sword, immediately beginning to fight. Cade stayed close to her brother, her panic causing her magic to flare up. Her eyes repeatedly flashed burning gold and began taking out any bandit that came close to her or Merlin.

Arthur pushed through the wave of bandits, eventually ending up on the opposite side of the gap between two huge rocks.

Merlin's foggy blue gaze alternated between his sister, her magic beginning to rage out of control, and his king, who was fighting a battle he could not win. Then, the young warlock made his decision. When Cade turned her back to the bandits to check on her brother, Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he said, "**Heleap Bonbec**!" Cade was launched backwards, landing on her back near Arthur. The young witch didn't have time to think on Merlin's actions for as soon as she landed, her head slammed against the ground and she lost consciousness.

Merlin turned his attention towards Arthur and the rocky walls on either side of him. Once the king was out of the way, Merlin muttered another spell. "**Gewicade ge stanas!**" The rocks began to crumble and fell, cutting Arthur and Cade off from their wounded comrade.

As the rocks fell, Arthur stopped fighting and looked back at Merlin. When he saw the rocks falling, he yelled, "MERLIN!", his hand reaching out. But it was too late. The rocks had fallen, leaving Arthur and Cade safe and Merlin at the mercy of bandits.

When the dust had settled, the bandits turned their attention to Merlin. The servant was still staring at the pile of rocks blocking the bandits from his sister and his friend. They pulled him up roughly and dragged him away. When Merlin looked around, he saw, standing before him, none other than Arthur's uncle and trusted advisor, Agravaine. He was grinning evilly down at Merlin.

"Well, well." He said, his grin widening. "If it isn't the idiotic servant, Merlin."

The next thing Merlin knew, he was dragged up a hill and thrown on the ground. The force was enough to knock the young warlock out cold. So, he did not see Agravaine talking with Morgana.

* * *

Arthur sat on the ground, his sky blue eyes locked on the fallen rocks in front of him that he could do nothing about. His hands repeatedly ran through his blond hair, making it more of a mess then it already was. Sighing, he looked behind him.

Cade was still out cold. How she had managed to get knocked out way over here when Arthur had been sure she had been trying to defend her wounded brother was a mystery to the king. With what little medicinal supplies he and the two siblings had managed to bring with them, Arthur had tended to the large bump and gash on the back of the black-haired girl's head to the best of his abilities. That had been at least two hours ago.

Finally, Arthur saw Cade move, and heard her groan in pain. She slowly began to sit up, only to yelp in pain as she applied pressure to her injured arm, which Arthur had attempted to bandage as well, and she promptly fell back on the ground. Arthur darted over to the injured girl and helped her slowly and carefully sit up.  
"Easy, Caden." He commanded softly. "Merlin will have my head if something happens to you. Your mother and Gaius as well and I'm not sure if I'm more terrified of Gaius or your mother."

"Both are fairly terrifying." Cade muttered, her eyes remaining closed as she fought against a wave of nausea that threatened to overtake her. Arthur chuckled quietly and grinned at Cade.

"You are right." He looked around. "It looks like the coast is clear." He stood, bent down and picked up Cade bridal style. Cade looked over towards the rocks, suddenly remembering what had happened.

"Merlin!" she yelled, wincing as her yell sent new waves of pain through her throbbing skull. "We have to rescue Merlin!" Cade began struggling against Arthur's hold on her, who only tightened his hold on the seventeen year old. He adjusted his grip so that he could run his fingers through Cade's hair, attempting to calm his manservant's little sister as best as he knew how.

"Caden, we will." he said softly. "But right now, we are in no condition to go find him. We're tired and hungry and you're injured. Neither of us is of any use to Merlin in our current condition. For now, we will return to Camelot and plan our next move." Cade sighed in submission and allowed the king to carry her back to Camelot.

* * *

**How was this? Pretty good? It was alot shorter before i combined the first part of Chapter 38 in with 37**

**Read and Review please! **


	38. Chapter 38 OC Character: Cade

**Here's Cade's info. Her medieval one at least... If you guys have any suggestions for her, i'm more then welcoming to them just let me know...**

* * *

Name- Caden

Aliases- Cade, Catrin

Age- 17

Hair Color- Jet Black

Eye Color- Neon Green

Place of Birth: Ealdor

Previous Residence: Everwick

Current Residence: Camelot

Relatives: Hunith, Merlin, Gaius, Andret, Cai

History- Cade was born in Ealdor 3 years after Merlin. The two grew up together and because of Cade's sickly nature, Merlin was very protective of her. Like Merlin, Cade was born with magic. However, Cade had and still has trouble controlling it. At the age of 8, Cade's lack of control got her sent to Everwick to live with her uncle Andret and cousin Cai. At 17, Cade was thrown out of Everwick when her magic was discovered. She was then sent to Camelot where she reunited with Merlin.


	39. Chapter 39 Servant of Two Masters Part 3

**Yes! Finally got the next chapter done! I am so so sorry it took so long! I hope you guys can forgive me! I tried to make this one extra long just for you all!**

**I know i probably dont deserve this, but i'll ask anyways: Please Read and Review?**

* * *

Chapter 38: A Servant of Two Masters Part 3

Meanwhile, Merlin was awakened to cold water being thrown on him. As his vision cleared, his eyes locked on Morgana. She grinned evilly.  
"Good morning." she said.

Merlin glared at her. "Is it?" he asked.

Morgana feigned hurt. "Oh. Don't be like that." she said. "We have a lot of catching up to do. After all, we haven't seen each other since you condemned my sister to a slow and painful death, thwarted my plans to take over Camelot and forced me to live in a hovel."

Merlin's eyes locked with Morgana's. "Could you do me a favor? Could you let Arthur know that he still thinks of me as an underachiever but I'm quite proud of those accomplishments. I can die happy."

Morgana shook her head. "Oh you're not going to die. Oh no. I'm not going to make it that easy."

* * *

Meanwhile, the knights were looking for their king and his servants through the forest. Leon in the lead, they rounded a corner, when something caught Leon's attention causing him to whirl around, sword slicing through the air to meet with Arthur's sword. He had glared at Leon. Cade was not far behind, her eyes unfocused as both her head and her arm throbbed with pain. She had convinced Arthur to let her walk not that far back.

Arthur pulled his sword away and panted a little. "Nice to see you too."

The knights mounted their horses, Cade riding her own and leading Merlin's along, and galloped back to Camelot.

In the main council chambers, Gaius burst in, a look of worry on his face when he saw his niece injured and his nephew nowhere to be found. "Where is Merlin, Sire?" he asked.

Arthur took a deep breath and made eye contact with the physician. "He's alive." Arthur said. "Last I saw he was alive." Gaius breathed out a little. Arthur turned to Leon. "Send out a patrol at first light. I want you to scour every inch of that forest." Arthur walked up to Gaius and put a hand on his shoulder. "We will find him, Gaius." Arthur continued. "We will."

* * *

The search went on for days, every one unsuccessful. One day, Cade was sitting on her bed, her hands clasped together as she tried to search for Merlin by using her magic. Her door suddenly opened and Cade, startled, whirled around to find Gwen walking towards her. The maid sat beside Cade on her bed, one hand reaching up and grasping Cade's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Don't worry." Gwen said. Cade's green eyes locked with Gwen's brown eyes. "I'm sure Arthur will find your brother."

Cade sighed and leaned her elbows on her knees, pressing the heels of her palms against her eyes. "What if he can't?" Cade questioned. "What if Merlin truly is lost?" Cade practically choked the last statement out. She couldn't stand the thought that her brother might be dead somewhere and she may never see him again. Cade's eyes filled with tears and she leaned on Gwen's shoulder as sobs racked her body.

* * *

Back in Morgana's hovel, the witch, busy with tending to Merlin's wounded shoulder, began to question the warlock.

"You know, there's one thing I don't understand Merlin." she started. "You're Arthur's servant, nothing more, yet time again you've proven yourself ready to lay down your life for him."

Merlin avoided eye contact and instead of answering her question he said, "What are you doing?"

Morgana glanced up at him. "You never seen Gaius clean a wound before?"

"No, I know _what_ you're doing. What I don't know is _why_?" Merlin rephrased.

Morgana grabbed him by the chin, forcing him to look at her. "I believe I asked you a question first. Why are you so loyal to Arthur?" She released Merlin and he again looked away.

"I don't expect you to understand Morgana. You have no sense of duty, no sense of loyalty."

You're wrong." Morgana said. "Don't think I don't understand loyalty just because I've got no one left to be loyal to." She put her hand over Merlin's wound and began saying a spell. "**Ic de durhhaele dinu licsar mid dam sundorcraeft daere ealdan ae. Drycraeft durhhaele dina wunda on de geedstadolie!**" The spell must've had a sleeping effect because Merlin felt himself growing more tired. As the darkness took him, Morgana pushed him away.

* * *

Back in Camelot, Agravaine had news for Arthur, though not necessarily good news.

"We have scoured the forest." he said.

"Scour it again." Arthur commanded.

"Sire," Leon began. "There is no sign of Merlin."

Cade felt her heart stop. They hadn't found him yet? She swallowed the tears that threatened to spring to her eyes. She couldn't start crying again. Not here. She was stronger than that.

"None," Agravaine started as he began to walk over to Arthur. "But this." He slapped down a piece of fabric and Cade's breath hitched in her throat. It was a piece of Merlin's jacket and there were bloodstains on it. "I'm sorry. He was such a loyal-" Arthur stopped him before he could continue.

He took a deep breath. "The mercenaries, what news of them?"

"We found no trace." Leon said.

"They were surely sent by that snake, Alanor." Agravaine said.

"It can't be!" Arthur exclaimed. "How? Our route was only known to a few within Camelot."

"There is only one conclusion we can draw." Leon began. "We have a traitor in our midst." As Leon said those words, Gaius looked up at Agravaine.

* * *

Back in Morgana's hovel, a fire roaring, Morgana held up a medallion with a picture of a many headed serpent. As she held it towards the flames, she incanted, "**Astige du wyrm fah ond gedeowie daet mod disse deowes. Hine bind ond da heold ond awend hi ealle!**" With the last word, she tossed the medallion into the fire. As the fire burned, Merlin heard a loud hissing noise emanating from the flames and his eyes widened as a living many headed serpent arose from the flames as said flames died away. Morgana looked at Merlin, a grin spreading across her face. "I take it you've never met a Fomorrah before." The thing hissed louder and Morgana reached out to pet it. "Oh, he's a little grumpy. He's not used to being out in the light." She bent down in front of it. "Oh my friend, I've called you from the depths for a very good reason."

Taking out a knife, Morgana cut one of the heads of the Fomorrah, but, to Merlin's surprise, the head still lived, wriggling around in Morgana's hand. On the Fomorrah's body, the detached head regrew good as new.

"Fomorrahs are creatures of Dark Magic." Morgana said. "Even if you cut off their heads, you cannot kill them. Another will just grow in its place." She began to walk towards Merlin. "The days of the Old Religion were revered by the High Priestesses. The Fomorrah allowed them to control people's minds. The Fomorrah will suck the life force out of you. Everything that makes you Merlin will be gone. In its place will be one thought. One thought that will grow until its consumed you completely." Morgana circled around behind Merlin. "One thought that will be your life's work. You won't be able to rest until it's done. And that one thought is simple: You must kill Arthur Pendragon!"

And with that, Morgana pressed the Fomorrah against Merlin's neck, forcing it in. Merlin hissed with pain, his body struggling to get away from Morgana, but she held him there, forcing him to allow the Fomorrah to burrow into the back of his neck. Finally, Merlin stopped fighting and Morgana released her hold. Her hand fell away from his neck as the Fomorrah burrowed deep inside.

* * *

**How was it? Like i said, i tried to make it extra long. I stayed up until 3 in the morning just to get it done. I only stopped where i did because i am tired and if i dont go to bed now i may be snappy at my little brother and i dont want that...**

**So, read and review please!**


	40. Chapter 40 Servant of Two Masters Part 4

**Okay so here's the next chapter. I honestly dont have much to say right now...**

**Please read and review!**

* * *

Chapter 39: A Servant of Two Masters Part 4

When Arthur woke up the next morning, his blurry vision saw someone who looked remarkably like Merlin standing at his bedside. When he focused his eyes however, he saw a very different man. He looked around and saw Cade standing nearby. When she noticed Arthur looking at her, she looked at the strange man and shrugged. Arthur turned his attention back to the unknown man.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked.

"I am your new manservant sire." he replied. "I have polished your armor, sharpened your sword, selected your clothes. There is a slight chill in the air today, sir."

_And he did that all before I could._ Cade thought, rolling her eyes.

"And now, if you would allow me, I would like to serve you breakfast."

Arthur looked to his right and saw a table lined with extravagant foods. "What's your name?" Arthur asked as he sat up.

"George, sire," The temporary servant said as he walked over to the table and took out a napkin.

"George, listen, George, it's all very impressive," Arthur said as George laid the napkin across his chest. "Very impressive indeed." George put a pillow behind Arthur. "But, I already have a manservant."

"And me, sire." Cade interjected. Arthur nodded.

"Shabby though he is, poor manners, he's extremely forgetful, he seems to spend a lot of time in the tavern." George handed him a drink. "But he is my manservant." Arthur said handing the cup back to George. "And I honestly quite like him that way." He said, jumping up out of bed.

* * *

Arthur was bound and determined to find Merlin. Not even Gwen could stop him. "I'm as worried about Merlin as you are."

"You're not going to stop me." Arthur said.

"Who knows if the mercenaries are even at the forest!" Gwen exclaimed.

"I have to go." Arthur said.

"The patrols found no sign of him." Gwen said.

"Do you really expect me to accept that?" Arthur asked. "Just sit here and take their word for it that Merlin's gone? I won't rest until I at least try."

"I know." Gwen said walking up to Arthur. "Just do one thing for me and don't go alone."

"He won't be going alone."

Arthur and Gwen turned to see Gwaine riding up to them. "See," Arthur said. "Now, you've condemned me to a day of mindless chatter."

Gwen smiled. "Good."

As Arthur turned to leave, the two heard rapid footsteps and turned toward the castle to see Cade running out.

"Caden, what are you doing?" Arthur asked. He then saw a bag on Cade's shoulder.

"I'm coming with you." She said.

Arthur shook his head. "No Caden, I need you to stay here." he said.

"But, Arthur, I-" Arthur cut her off.

"I want you to stay here with Guinevere and Gaius." Arthur said sternly. "Gwaine and I can find Merlin if it's just us." Cade sighed, knowing she had no choice but to stay. Arthur smiled and looked at Gwen. "I'll be back." he said to her.

She grinned. "You better." She said.

Arthur mounted his horse and he and Gwaine rode off.

* * *

In the forest, a figure covered in mud was climbing up a hill.

Meanwhile, Arthur and Gwaine were riding through the forest. Gwaine was, of course, chattering away. When Arthur spotted movement, he held out an arm to silence Gwaine. Looking ahead, they saw the figure climbing through the trees. They dismounted and Arthur drew his sword.

"Show yourself." He said walking forward.

The figure climbed out and stood, stepping into view and turning. He started laughing and Arthur and Gwaine were ecstatic to see that it was none other then Merlin.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed. He stabbed his sword into the ground and walked forward. "We thought we lost you!" He pulled Merlin into a one-armed embrace, laughing.

* * *

Back in Camelot, once Merlin had come into view, Cade had all but tackled her older brother. When they had recovered, Cade looked at Merlin sternly. "You had me scared stiff!" she exclaimed.

Merlin just chuckled and Cade led her brother to Gaius's chambers. One the young man had cleaned himself up, he and Cade sat down at the table as Gaius stood in front of them.

"Please, don't do that again Merlin." Gaius said. "My heart can't take it."

"Well you are getting old a bit." Merlin said, rather rudely. Cade looked at him in surprise, as did Gaius as that sort of thing never came out of Merlin's mouth. "What is this?" Merlin then asked, looking at his dish.

"It's a special welcome home." Gaius answered. "Your favorite."

Merlin took a bite and almost immediately gagged. "I think you should stick to cooking up potions, Gaius. This tastes like the bog Arthur found me in."

"How did you escape?" Cade asked.

"With great skill," Merlin snapped, taking his sister by surprise. He turned back to Gaius. "Can I ask you something, Gaius?"

"Yes, of course. Anything." Gaius replied.

"What is the strongest poison that you possess?" Gaius looked at him curiously. "I had this great opportunity to lace the bandits food with poison, but had nothing to do it with." he stood and walked over to the table where Gaius kept most of his potions.

"Well, that would be Aconite." Gaius answered.

Merlin located the poison and picked it up. "Well, I should keep some of this with me from now on." he said. He looked up at Gaius and Cade, both of whom were eying him strangely. "You never know when you might need to kill someone." He walked away, leaving his uncle and sister thinking.

"Indeed." Gaius said. Cade nodded.

_There's something weird going on with Merlin._ Cade thought as she watched her brother leave. _And I'm going to find out what it is._

* * *

**Okay so how was this? Good? Bad? I actually enjoyed writing the George bit. Ironically that was fun.**

**Read and review please!**


	41. Chap 41 A Servant of Two Masters Part 5

**Okay so here's the next chapter. Took a few days to finally write, and quite a while to type out**

* * *

Chapter 40: A Servant of Two Masters Part 5

Later that morning, as Cade was walking down the corridor to Arthur's chambers, she ran straight into Astrid.

"Oh, hey, Cade." her old friend greeted her, smiling. The smile dropped when she noticed the serious look on the younger girl's face. "What's wrong?"

"Ever since Arthur brought Merlin back, he's been acting strangely." Cade answered. "He was really rude to both me and Gaius when we were eating and he said his favorite meal tasted like the bog Arthur had found him in. Then he asked what the strongest poison Gaius had was."

"That is rather odd." Astrid said. Cade nodded in agreement.

"It's like Merlin's a totally different person."

"That's what it seems like." Astrid said.

"I have to get to the bottom of this." Cade declared. "And I may need your help to do it." Astrid nodded.

"Of course." she said without hesitation.

Cade smiled gratefully at the older girl and began walking down the corridor again. As she neared Arthur's chambers, she jumped back when Merlin suddenly stormed out of the door, a tray of food in his hand and a look of pure anger on his face.

"Merlin?" Cade questioned, but he ignored her completely, pushing past her. She raised an eyebrow and walked into Arthur's chambers, where she found Arthur and Gwen at Arthur's table, the king sitting down and the older servant girl standing beside him. "Okay, do either of you know why Merlin seems to be upset?" she asked. The two shook their heads.

"It was odd." Gwen said. "He came in with Arthur's food, but I had already brought Arthur's food. Merlin kept pressing to get Arthur to eat his tray of food instead of mine, but Arthur refused. Merlin seemed really mad when he realized that no matter what he said, Arthur was not going to eat the tray of food he'd brought and then he stormed out without another word."

"Merlin's been acting strangely ever since you, sire, brought him back here." Cade said. "He was very rude to me and Gaius earlier and that isn't like him at all."

"While I agree that isn't like him, Caden, I'm sure he's just fine." Arthur said. "He was lost in the forest alone for several days. He's probably just a little tense from the situation. Don't worry, Caden."

Cade looked up at Gwen, who shrugged. Cade sighed, deciding to see if Arthur was right. "Alright, sire." she said. "I'll try not to worry."

Arthur smiled. "Good girl."

"I'm not a dog, Arthur."

"I know."

Cade sighed, but, smiling, she walked out of the room and started down the corridor, intent on getting back to Gaius and talking to him about what could be going on with Merlin. Her older brother was really beginning to scare her. Badly.

As she walked down the corridor, two maids walked by her, chattering about something. Something that, for once, Cade found interesting.

"Did you hear about what happened in the lower town?" one maid asked the other.

"About the pigs dying mysteriously?" the other maid asked in reply. She nodded. "Yes, I did. No one's sure how it happened. They just collapsed, dead."

"It was certainly odd." the first maid said annd then, the maids walked around a corner, out of Cade's range of hearing.

_Pigs collapsing dead from unknown circumstances?_ Cade thought. _I should really talk to Gaius about this!_ And with that, she began running to her uncle's chambers.

* * *

When Cade burst through the door, she found Gwen already there. She was standing at Gaius's table, next to the old man. She looked up when Cade burst in. Gaius looked up at his niece, a knowing look on his face.

"Cade." he began. "I suppose you're here because you heard about the pigs dying in the lower town?" Cade nodded.

"So am I." Gwen explained. She pointed to the tray on Gaius's table. Cade recognized it as the one Merlin had been carrying when he had stormed out of Arthur's chambers earlier. "I found this next to the pigs. The food was partially eaten. Gaius has been examining it."

"Isn't that the tray of food Merlin had brought to Arthur and tried so hard to get him to eat?"

Gwen nodded and Gaius spoke. "It has been contaminated with Aconite poison.

"The poison Merlin took from here this morning!" Cade exclaimed, her eyes widening. Gaius nodded again.

"But why would Merlin try to poison Arthur?" Gwen asked.

"He wouldn't," Gaius answered. "Not if he was in his right mind."

"Well, obviously this confirms that Merlin is NOT in his right mind." Cade said. "Something's making Merlin act weird, and we have to figure out what it is."

"Agreed." Gwen said.

"Cade, you go back to Arthur's chambers." Gaius ordered. "Make sure your brother doesn't try anything to kill Arthur again. Do whatever you have to."

Cade nodded and walked out of her uncle's chambers.

* * *

In Arthur's chambers, Merlin was helping Arthur get ready for a knighting ceremony he had a little later. Cade walked in and bowed, showing the respect she had for the king that Merlin never seemed to care to show.

"Sorry I'm late sire." she said, respectively. "Gaius required my assistance."

Arthur waved her apology off. "No worries, Cade." he said. "Just get started on your jobs. Merlin can assist me in getting ready for the knighting ceremony." Cade nodded and began her work. Arthur turned towards Merlin as he went behind his dressing shutters. **(I honestly have no idea what that is actually called.)** "What about Percival?" Arthur asked. From what Cade had gathered from the somber expression on the king's face, the two had been discussing the possibility of a traitor in Camelot. "What do you think?"

Merlin closed Arthur's clothes cabinet **(Another thing I do not know the true name of)**, a look of annoyance on his face. "He's very big."

"But does that make him a traitor?" Arthur asked.

Merlin groaned exasperatedly. "Are you going to get dressed?"

Arthur peeked around his dressing shutters, an eyebrow raised at Merlin's question. "Have you got somewhere to be?" He asked, a look of confusion on his face and evident in his voice. Merlin did seem to be in a rush for some odd reason. He began walking toward the king.

"Percival's family was killed by Cenred's army." Merlin replied to Arthur's first question. "He hates anything to do with Morgana."

_Yeah._ Cade thought as she nodded in agreement. _Merlin and I know who the real traitor is and it's Agravaine himself._

"Right." Arthur said, walking towards his clothes cabinet. "He has pledged his allegiance." He put a hand on the knob. "I am wrong to doubt him. I must put it from my mind."

Merlin was smiling as Arthur prepared to open the door. "You must get dressed." he said.

"Indeed." Arthur said, pulling the cabinet open. "Elyan didn't ride out with us." Merlin's shoulders dropped, the smile falling from his face into an annoyed frown. It seemed that Merlin had planned on something happening when Arthur opened the cabinet, but it had obviously failed. Arthur pulled a belt out. "Maybe he's concerned about my relationship with Guinevere." He walked back over to his dressing shutters, threw the belt over the top and walked behind it again.

Merlin, meanwhile, seemed to be irritated. He raised his arms up and let them drop as he walked to the cabinet and yanked the door open. Cade gasped and jumped as Merlin ducked when an arrow from a crossbow shot out and embedded itself in the bed post of Arthur's bed. Cade blinked and stared at Merlin. That was it! Merlin had rigged a crossbow so that when Arthur opened his cabinet, he would be shot and killed when the arrow launched! But something had gone wrong. Merlin stormed over to the post, yanked the arrow out and threw it under the bed. Cade glared at her brother.

"Elyan," Arthur continued. "Could he be the traitor? My father his father."

"That's impossible." Cade said, keeping her green eyes locked on every move Merlin made. "Elyan respects you quite a lot."

Arthur nodded. "True." He took his belt down. "Could one of you bring me my ceremonial sword?"

Merlin turned, but as he did, Cade saw a smirk on his face. "The ceremonial sword. Of course." He walked over to the desk and picked the sword up. As Arthur belted his belt around his waist, Merlin held the sword up and pointed it towards Arthur, as if gauging the distance between himself and the king.

"I do find it hard to believe that Elyan would think ill of me, but you can't be too careful. In fact, I think you two, Merlin and Caden, are the only people I can trust." Gaius and Gwen suddenly burst into the room, causing Cade to jump, startled. But Arthur didn't seem to be all that startled. He just rolled his eyes and walked towards them. "I know. I'm late." Arthur said.

Merlin ran at Arthur, sword held high, ready to cut the king down. Just as Cade opened her mouth to warn Arthur, Merlin did something that Cade thought was absolutely ridiculous: He ran straight into one of the columns in the room and ricocheted into the other one. He lazily held the sword out and collapsed.

The clang of the sword hitting the ground caught Arthur's attention and he turned to see his manservant face down on the floor, his ceremonial sword held loosely in Merlin's right hand. Arthur gave Merlin a funny look, bent down to pick the sword up, and walked out of the room.

Merlin's blue eyes fluttered open but, as he began to get up, Gwen grabbed an empty metal water pitcher and swung hard, hitting Merlin hard in the head and knocking him out cold. Gwen looked up at both Cade and Gaius.

"It was all I could think of in that particular moment." She said. Cade smiled a bit. She actually found that how Merlin had messed up his own assassination attempt by running into the column when he'd had a straight shot at Arthur quite funny.

"At this point," Cade said. "I think Merlin deserved it." She bent down and pulled one of Merlin's arms over her shoulders. She looked at Gwen and Gaius. "Let's get him back to your chambers, Gaius, so that we can find out why he's acting like this, preferably before he wakes up and tries to kill us, then goes on to kill our king."

* * *

**Okay, that bit at the end had to be the funniest part ever! I had SO much fun writing it, let me tell ya!**

**Read and Review please! I havent gotten new reviews lately. Am i not doing a good job?**


	42. Chapter 42 Servant of Two Masters Part 6

**Okay so here's the next chapter. Read and Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 41: A Servant of Two Masters Part 6

Once they got to Gaius's chambers, Cade carefully set Merlin down on a chair, facing backwards. Once she had, she rubbed her arm where the injury she had obtained the day Merlin disappeared still throbbed. She looked up at Gaius, who had pulled up a chair next to Merlin's. Moving Merlin's neckerchief, Gaius's eyes widened. He got up, got a book from his shelf, and flipped through the pages. Once he'd stopped on a page, he really looked serious.

"I feared as much." he said.

"What is it?" Cade asked as Gaius handed her the book. She held it so that Gwen could see the picture of a multi-headed snake.

"It's a Fomorrah."Gaius answered. "Whoever put it there was very highly skilled."

"What does it do?" Gwen asked as she and Cade looked up at the elderly physician.

"In the days of the Old Religion, they were used by the High Priestess to enslave the minds of her enemies." Gaius explained. "Once a thought was planted, the victim would not stop until it had accomplished it." He looked closer at the back of Merlin's neck. "First we must paralyze the serpent." He gestured for a bowl that contained some kind of substance, which Cade handed him quickly. He dabbed the back of Merlin's neck with the odd substance and the wriggling serpent shape just under Merlin's skin stopped moving.

"Is it dead?" Gwen asked. Gaius shook his head.

"Sadly not." he answered. "Merely dormant. Now for the tricky bit. Pass me the blade." Gwen handed him a scalpel. Gaius then began lightly cutting into Merlin's skin, just deep enough to cut the serpent out without seriously injuring Merlin. Once it was out, Gaius took the serpent and tossed it into the fireplace, where it exploded.

"That's it?" Cade asked.

"I believe so." Gaius replied.

"Then we have the old Merlin back." Gwen said. "Arthur is safe once more."

"Let us hope so." Gaius said.

* * *

The next morning both Cade and Merlin woke up, early for once because Gaius was still asleep. As Cade got dressed, Merlin walked over to where Gaius kept his potions and began sifting through them, putting one vial after the other in his bag. When Cade walked out of their room, she watched Merlin with curiosity. The clanging of vials seemed to have awakened Gaius, because the elderly physician sat up and grinned at his nephew.

"How do you feel?" Gaius asked.

"Never better." Merlin answered.

"It's great to have you back, Merlin." Cade said, jumping down the steps from their room, her bag slung over her shoulder. She hugged Merlin tightly. Merlin looked at her confusedly before pushing her off of him.

"What do you remember?" Gaius asked.

"Bout what?" Merlin asked, turning his back to his uncle and sister.

"I suppose that means nothing." Gaius exclaimed, then his eyes widened when he saw something wiggling in the back of Merlin's neck. Getting Cade's attention, he showed her. Cade's eyes widened when she saw what appeared to be the Fomorrah in the back of Merlin's neck once again.

Merlin shrugged on his jacket. "I have a feeling today's going to be a good day." And he left, Gaius and Cade staring after him. Cade soon followed him, determined to make sure Merlin didn't do anything stupid. Gaius got up and dressed quickly, then hurried to find Gwen.

* * *

In Arthur's chambers, Cade was taking care of tidying up Arthur's chambers as Merlin prepared the king a bath.

"My father prepared me well to be king, but he told me nothing of the loneliness of the job." Arthur said. "What it's like to have all eyes on you, waiting for you to provide the answer. In all the years, he never wavered. He was strong, he was sure, but I'm not in that place yet. I value the guidance of others, but maybe I have been wrong to do so."

Cade watched in horror as Merlin poured one of the potions he'd taken from Gaius's chambers into Arthur's bath, but she was unable to do anything to stop him. Merlin stuck the blade of a sword in the tub and when he brought it out, the metal was bent and deformed.

"Everyone has their own agenda." Arthur continued, unaware of what was occurring.

Cade looked up when Gaius and Gwen entered the room. She gestured furiously at Merlin and the two saw the raven-haired man holding up the deformed sword.

"It feels like I can trust no one anymore." Arthur said.

Gwen, grabbing the metal pitcher from earlier, ran forward and swung at Merlin, once again nailing him in the back of the head. Cade ran to her brother as he fell backwards into her and Gaius's arms, unconscious. They quickly hid his body behind a column.

"Is that how you see it Merlin, Caden?" Arthur said, walking out from behind his shutters, then gasping when he saw Gwen in the room. "Guinevere!" He exclaimed, grabbing a pillow and putting it in front of him. Cade closed her eyes as Gwen looked away, then back again.

"Arthur!" Gwen exclaimed, hiding the pitcher behind her back.

Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly and nodded at Gaius. "Gaius." he said. The physician nodded at him. Arthur looked on Gaius's other side to see Cade, her emerald eyes closed tight. He looked back at Gwen. "You're not Merlin." he said, noticing that his manservant was nowhere to be found.

Gwen shook her head. "No. There was a problem with the bath water."

"Really?"

"Yes," Gwen replied. "It's cold. Very cold. Merlin's gone to remedy it." Gwen explained. Arthur stepped forward, intending to test the water himself. "I don't think you can have a bath today!" Gwen's exclamation caused Arthur to look up and back off a little. Arthur gave Gwen an odd look.

"Right." he said. "Good job I'm not very dirty then."

"Good job indeed." Gwen said.

Arthur nodded slowly and step by step, walked behind the shutters as Cade, Gwen and Gaius shared looks of relief.

* * *

Back in Gaius's chambers, the three tried to figure out why the Fomorrah had returned. They now had Merlin laying on Gaius's examination table on his stomach, his neckerchief moved so that they could see the Fomorrah. Gaius, after reading further, soon found the answer.

"So let me get this straight." Cade said. "If you kill one another grows in its place?"

"I've heard such stories in the past, but never thought they were true." Gaius replied. Cade groaned and stepped away, running both hands through her bangs tiredly. Gaius dabbed the back of Merlin's neck with the paralyzing concoction again. "That will silence it for a while." He then uncapped a canister which began smoking and waved it under Merlin's nose. He jumped and coughed, sitting up and struggling for breath.

Merlin rubbed the back of his head, staring at Gaius in horror. "What was that? Arthur's socks?" he asked. Gwen smiled softly at him and Cade just shrugged. Merlin looked around at all three of them, then back at Gaius. "What are you trying to do to me?"

"I'm trying to stop you from killing the king!" Gaius exclaimed.

Merlin's hand dropped from his head and he smirked, then he stumbled forward, paling a little, like he was going to be sick.

Once Gwen had left, Gaius and Merlin were sitting at the table, Merlin quickly eating from a bowl of berries. Cade sat on the table, turned slightly so that she could see her uncle and brother clearly.

"So," Gaius began. "You don't remember anything?"

Merlin shook his head. "I remember Morgana conjuring the snake but nothing more." He ate some more berries. It seemed to Cade that the Fomorrah hadn't exactly cared whether Merlin was fed or not because it looked as though he hadn't eaten for a while.

"Lucky for us you're such a bad assassin." Cade said, smirking a bit.

"Well, all is well now." Merlin said. "I feel fine."

"For now, the serpent is dormant, but when it wakes, your mind will be Morgana's once more." Gaius explained. "And nothing will stop you from killing Arthur."

Merlin put a hand to the back of his neck. "Well, how do we get rid of it if it keeps growing back?"

"There's only one way, I'm afraid: You have to kill the mother beast." Gaius replied.

Merlin looked at the picture of the Fomorrah. "That thing that lives in Morgana's hut?"

"Sounds easy enough." Cade said sarcastically, looking at the picture as well.

"Great, how long have I got?" Merlin asked pointing to his neck. "How long before this thing wakes up?"

"A day, no more. And I wouldn't face her alone. And no Cade, you have to stay here." Gaius added, glaring when Cade opened her mouth, already knowing what his niece was going to say. She closed her mouth tightly, but glared back at Gaius. Merlin stood and walked over to Gaius's potions table.

"Don't worry, I won't be there at all." Merlin said, picking up a vial. "Well, not exactly. She won't recognize me if I'm eighty years old." And he was gone.

* * *

**I am really loving this section of chapters! This episode was definatley one of my favorites!**

**Read and review please!**

**BTW, do you guys have any suggestions on what i can do for a filler episode? I have no clue.**


	43. Chap 43 A Servant of Two Masters Part 7

**So sorry about the wait. I've had very restricted computer access until i get a job. (Sucks i know.) But, today, i got the opportunity to get online and type the next chapter which i wrote in one of my many notebooks.**

**Anyways, here's the exciting conclusion to "A Servant of Two Masters".**

**Read and Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 42: A Servant of Two Masters Part 7

Against Gaius's wishes, not long after Merlin had departed, Cade crept out of the castle, slowly following her brother. Merlin rode his horse to a small clearing, dismounted and crept behind a tree. Cade heard a few muttered words and Merlin came out from behind the tree, now disguised as Dragoon the Great. He walked back to his horse and struggled to get on, his now creaky old body working against him. Cade bit her lip to keep herself from laughing and giving herself away.  
As Merlin struggled to get on his horse, Gwaine, Percival, Elyan and Leon walked up behind him. Cade was well aware that the last time Merlin had disguised himself as Dragoon, the knights had chased Dragoon away when it appeared that he had killed Uther. Merlin turned when he heard them coming up behind him.

He grinned. "Ah, gentlemen. What a pleasant surprise." He said.

"I wish we could say the same thing." Gwaine replied. "Move away from the horse, please."

"What lovely manners." Merlin answered. Cade snickered softly at the arrogance laced in his voice. "I do admire a man who says please."

Leon drew his sword, a movement which was soon followed by the others and they surrounded Merlin.

Merlin looked Percival up and down and asked, "Have you got bigger?"

"You'll be getting shorter if I have my way." Percival answered.

"Very nice." Merlin said. "I like it." He turned to Leon. "Leon, really, there must be something in the knight's code about how to treat an old man."

"You're not just any old man though." Leon answered.

"You escaped the flames once," Gwaine said, stepping closer. "You will not do so again."

Cade looked on as Merlin taunted the knights, then preceded to use his magic to knock them around a bit when they moved to attack him. Eventually they lay in a large pile beside the horse, which Merlin used as a step ladder to climb into the saddle and ride off. Cade ran after him. When they were a good distance away, Merlin turned his head.

"You can come out now, Cade." he commanded.

Cade cringed, but reluctantly came out from behind the trees. "How'd you know I was here?" she asked.

Merlin grinned. "You're magic, Cade." he answered. "It's not that hard to detect. I was making sure to see if you actually did as Gaius said."

"You didn't really think I was going to stay behind did you?"

Merlin laughed. "Of course not. I just wanted to see how long it would take before you started following me." He patted the spot on the saddle behind him. "Come on." Cade effortlessly climbed into the saddle behind Merlin and they continued to ride towards Morgana's hut.

When they got there, Merlin dismounted and looked at Cade. "You need to stay here." he ordered. "Morgana will no doubt recognize you and we can't have her using that to her advantage." Cade sighed, but even she had to admit that Merlin was right. There was no telling what Morgana would do if she saw Cade. Cade nodded and pulled herself forward in the saddle, griping the reigns tightly. She watched Merlin depart for Morgana's hut and she closed her eyes.

* * *

Merlin crept slowly to the hut. He peered over the edge of a small ledge just in time to see Agravaine leave Morgana's hut. Not long after he left, Morgana left as well and Merlin took his opportunity. He dashed down the hill and went into the hut as speedily as he could. He quickly located the mother beast just as Morgana walked back in, some plants in her arms. She dropped them in shock when her eyes landed on Merlin. She stumbled backwards back out the door, closing it quickly. When she reentered, she gaped at Merlin in shock. Merlin just looked up at her.

"You're not here." she stated.

"Whatever you say!" Merlin yelled.

Morgana inched closer and pulled out a knife. As she got closer, Merlin pulled a cloth from on a jar and discovered what he had been looking for: the mother beast. It hissed threateningly. "You're just my imagination." Morgana mumbled, fear nearly commanding her voice.

"That's right." Merlin said, his blue eyes making contact with Morgana's pale green eyes. "I'm not really here. Just pretend that I'm not here. That I just get this and go." He grabbed the jar that held the mother beast. Morgana stepped forward to stop him, but with a flash of gold, she was thrown backwards and Merlin made his escape.

He hadn't gotten very far when Morgana came after him. She yelled out a spell and this time, Merlin was thrown. Merlin gasped as the air was knocked out of him. The jar flew through the air away from him.

Not far away, just out of sight, Cade looked up when the sound of a crash startled her. Standing and walking away from the tree she had been resting against, Cade slowly inched towards the small cliff that overlooked Morgan's hut. She gasped when she saw Merlin on his back gasping for air and Morgana walking slowly closer. "Merlin, no." she muttered.

Morgana took out her knife again and stood over Merlin. "So, Emrys," She said. "it seems you will not be my doom after all." She lifted the knife to strike Merlin.

"**Forp fleoge!**" Merlin shouted and Morgana flew backwards. Up on the cliff, Cade sighed in relief. Morgana landed a ways away, the breath knocked out of her. Merlin stumbled to his feet and walked close to Morgana. She opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Before I die, you can at least tell me who you are." she said. "Did Arthur send you?" Merlin didn't answer. and Morgana continued speaking. "But you're no friend of his. Magic has no place in Camelot. It never will. Not until I take the throne."

"Wrong." Cade mumbled, glaring intently at Morgana. She could feel her magic boiling under her skin and her eyes flickered between the normal electric green and molten gold.

"Please spare me." Morgana begged. "I only want what is rightfully mine. Perhaps, it can still be so." She threw out a hand and her knife shot right at Merlin. Merlin was distracted as he avoided being hit and did not see as Morgana sat up. Her eyes flashed gold and Merlin was thrown far away from her. She stood and ran to the jar that held the Fomorrah, quickly picking it up. She began to walk away.

The wind picked up as Merlin began speaking a spell. "**Ie her accigie aenne windraes! Faerblaed was! Windraes ungetermed: ge hier! Ic de bebeod mid ealle strangesse daet du geblawest ond syrmest strange! Gespurn peos haeg tesse!**" Morgana had stopped walking whilst Merlin had been saying the spell, but once she heard the spell, she held out her hand to protect herself. The large whirlwind Merlin had summoned inched closer to Morgana and engulfed her, picking her up and towing her a huge distance away. Luckily, the jar hadn't been knocked away that far. Morgana was knocked unconscious and Cade could see that it would be a while before she came to.

Once the spell had stopped, Merlin gasped and fell on his hands and knees. Cade climbed down the cliff and joined her brother. "Are you alright?" she asked. Merlin nodded.

"Fine." he answered. "Just tired. Go get some wood please. We need to destroy this creature before this," he poked the back of his neck. "wakes up"

Cade nodded and did as Merlin asked. She chuckled. "I don't blame you for being tired. That old body and a powerful spell like that are not a good combination." Merlin smirked.

The black haired teen quickly gathered a lot of wood and arranged it in a small fire pit. With a flick of his hand, Merlin set the wood ablaze and quickly tossed the Fomorrah in, saying a spell. He gasped and clutched the back of his neck.

"It's gone?" Cade asked. Merlin's wide smile immediately told her all she needed to know.

* * *

The next day, when they had returned to Camelot, both siblings stood in Arthur's chambers, though, only one was being glared at angrily. Almost as soon as they had returned, they went to Gaius, who immediately began taking the Formorrah head out of Merlin's neck.

"This is becoming something of a habit." Gaius said.

Merlin smirked lightly. "I hope not." He winced as Gaius carefully dug the Fomorrah head out of his neck. Finally with a sickening pop, the head was free.

"Don't worry." Gaius said, showing the head to the siblings. "It cannot grow back again." Merlin rubbed his neck as Cade stood beside him, one hand on his shoulder.

The sound of Gaius's chamber door opening made them look up and they grinned when Gwen entered. She smiled widely. "Merlin, Cade, you're both back." She said, glaring at Cade, who grinned sheepishly. Obviously, the older maid wanted a word with Cade later when they could talk girl to girl. "Dare I look?" she continued, looking at Merlin.

"Oh, don't worry, it's completely gone." Merlin replied. "I've no desire to kill Arthur."

"That's great news." Gwen said smiling, then she frowned slightly. "Although, right now, he does want to kill you."

Which is how the siblings found themselves in Arthur's chambers, Cade in her usual spot beside Arthur's chair and Merlin standing in front of Arthur, his hands clasped behind his back. Gaius had apparently told Arthur two different stories about where the brother and sister had been. He had said that Cade was on a short tip to gather herbs and Merlin, well, Merlin was something else.

Arthur drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair, glaring angrily at Merlin. "Two whole days in the tavern?" Cade fought back a laugh.

The raven-haired man chuckled nervously. "I'm not quite sure it was that long." Cade distinctly recalled Merlin telling Gaius to tell Arthur he was anywhere BUT the tavern.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't get rid of you on the spot."

"I'm Cade's older brother."

"Need I remind you that Caden is more efficient at doing yours and her jobs then you are?"

Okay, so obviously, using the sibling ploy wasn't going to work.

"Because you'd have no one to polish your armor," Merlin tried again. That was true. Cade couldn't polish Arthur's armor at all. "Make you breakfast when Cade is sick, organize your clothes."

"Ah well that's where you're wrong." Arthur said. Both Cade and Merlin looked at Arthur in confusion. "George!" he called. Cade and Merlin turned and saw a man dressed eerily similar to Merlin come in. "Merlin, meet George. George is perhaps the most efficient servant I've ever seen, even a little more so then your sister, though I wouldn't dream of replacing her. George will be spending the rest of the week teaching you."

"Teaching me?" Merlin repeated.

"If you wish to remain in my service."

"We will start in the armory." George stated. "Lesson one is my favorite: polishing."

Arthur and Cade looked at each other, fighting back laughter at the look of terror in Merlin's eyes.

"Yes that's my favorite too." Merlin said. George dipped his head and then gestured for Merlin to follow him. Before Merlin left, he turned back to the king. "Tell me something: if he's so good, why don't you just give him the job?"

"He's seriously boring." Arthur answered. "I've never met anyone so dull. The man makes jokes about brass." Merlin's eyes widened. Arthur smiled and patted Merlin on the shoulder. "Anyway, off you go. It'll be fun." Merlin grinned mockingly and walked out of the room.

As soon as he was gone, the laughter Cade had been holding back burst forth. As she gasped for breath, she looked at Arthur, grinning from ear to ear. "That was so cruel, Arthur."

Arthur chuckled. "Be glad it wasn't you, Caden."

"Oh believe me, sire, I am."

* * *

**How was this? Was it a good conclusion? Please review and let me know.**

**And my last question still stands: I need an idea for a filler episode before i move onto "The Secret Sharer". Suggestions anyone?**


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